I Never Thought You'd Forget Me
by stephfarrow94
Summary: In their early childhood, Bel and Rasiel had loved each other more than they knew was normal. After an accident and Siel is presumed dead, Bel slowly goes insane. Moving on from Siel's death had been harder than anything but years later he finds himself a new lover named Fran. Just when Bel starts to settle down, he runs into his now-amnesiac brother, and Fran doesn't like it. Yaoi
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is AU where the Vongola with the exception of Mukuro are their present ages (13-16). Mukuro is TYL as is Fran and the rest of the Varia. Pairings include RasielXBel BelXFran RasielXFranXBel and various side-pairings.**

"Mmm… Rasiel…" Belphagor moaned as his hand stroked along his hardened member, his eyes scrunched shut as he thought about his twin brother. He whimpered as he squeezed himself, pretending it was the older blond's hand touching him. "Mmm… S-siel…!"

Bel bite his lip as he felt his orgasm hit him, soft pants escaping past young lips. He was young, barely twelve-years-old, and he knew everything about his relationship with Rasiel was wrong. They were young and they were more closely related than most siblings, but neither of them cared; they loved each other and did their best to hide their relationship from others – especially their parents who would have disapproved of it for many reasons.

Bel wasn't sure where Rasiel had disappeared off to, but he was quite content to lie in his bed under the covers, hiding from the cold that was slowly seeping into his room through the open window. The blond had been too lazy to close it from when the maid had been in here cleaning earlier.

The blond sighed happily as he curled into a ball, his eyes closing as he prepared himself for sleep.

The young boy had only managed to reach the second stage of sleep before someone knocked on his bedroom door, startling him back into waking consciousness.

"Mmm?" Bel blinked as he sat up, knowing it would be his father – his mother didn't bother with her children very much and no one but Rasiel dared enter his room when he was in there.

"Bel?" Yeah; that was definitely said boy's father. "Bel, I've got some bad news."

Bel didn't care much for whatever the man had to tell him. He watched as the door opened slowly until his father was revealed, standing tall in the doorway. His blond hair fell down the middle of his back while his eyebrows creased together, observing Bel where he lay.

"Whatever you have to say, I really don't care for it," Bel said bluntly. "I want to sleep."

"Bel, this is important," the man said. "It involves Siel."

Closed eyes opened immediately as Bel sat back up, eyes hidden behind long bangs shining in concern. "…?"

"…There was an accident earlier… There was a hold up on the bus Siel was travelling on. …The driver crashed and the bus caught on fire…"

"I don't care about this!" Bel snapped. "I want to hear about Siel!"

The man sighed. "…Siel's body wasn't recovered from the wreckage, so no one knows what's happened to him… The police whom I was talking to about it doesn't think there was much chance of survival…"

Bel felt numb as he absorbed this information and, for the first time in his life, he _cried. _His brother, his best friend – his _lover… _The reality hit harder than ever at this acknowledgement and the younger twin felt as if a piece of himself had been torn from him, never to be found again.

That was the day Bel's already-fragile mental state of mind broke completely.

**_~~Time skip~~_**

It had taken days before Bel had bothered to go back to school. The fact that he would no longer have his brother by his side broke his heart, but he was sick of the way his parents were fighting constantly because no one knew if Rasiel was alive or dead. He didn't even know _what _they fought about; just that it involved the older twin.

News had spread around the school like wildfire, and Bel wasn't stupid enough to miss the way people smirked triumphantly as they passed him in the halls; Bel's family was the richest one in town, its wealth enough for people to have ill feelings towards the twins.

Bel continued to walk to his classroom, his mind too busy registering how lonely it was without Rasiel by his side. He felt sick, as if he were going to throw up.

When at last the blond reached his classroom, he opened the door and stepped in, ignoring the glance of pity the teacher shot towards him. He instead threw his bag to the ground as he took his seat next to the only person in the school he could consider a friend.

"Sympathies," the smooth voice said as heterochromatic eyes scanned the textbook in front of him.

Bel just nodded, knowing the other well enough to know that Mukuro Rokudo was not one to dwell on tragedies and misfortunes.

"What are we doing today?" Bel asked as he pulled a pencil out from his pocket. He twirled it in his fingers as he examined his desk, hidden eyes full of pain. As hard as he was trying to hide it, he was finding it difficult to cope without his twin.

"Watching a movie, I think." Mukuro ran a hand through blue hair as he sighed. "I might just sleep instead."

Bel could see the appeal in sleeping; it had been his only escape from the pain that was overwhelming. With a shrug, he shut his own eyes as he slumped over his desk, hoping for solace from the agony he was drowning in.


	2. Chapter 2

**For anyone who read the first chapter when it was originally uploaded, it has been fixed; only the first half of the chapter had been uploaded. Apologies.**

**Also, as the first chapter was sort of an introduction of sorts, this chapter introduces Fran and actual plot will most likely begin in the next chapter or two, so expect another time skip. Once the plot begins, there won't be any more huge time jumps to worry about. **

Years had passed since Rasiel had made an unwanted departure from Bel's life and it still hurt to lay awake at night and think of the what-ifs. The blond felt as if he had lost all reason for living, wanted nothing more than for the pain to stop. He couldn't remember how he had become so aggressive towards other people – he couldn't even remember _why _– all he knew was in his lonely existence, he had no one other than the friend he had gone through school with.

Still not one-hundred per cent sure why he had agreed to go shopping with said friend for some stupid run-away Mukuro had taken in, he glared at everyone around him, a large frown on his face.

They were eighteen-years-old, fresh out of high school, and Mukuro was dealing with kids. Bel couldn't see the appeal in wanting some snot-nosed brat running around the house and had questioned in his usual blunt manner of asking why on Earth Mukuro wanted to keep the kid instead of dumping it in an orphanage.

"So what's its name again?" Bel wasn't very interested, and he knew Mukuro could tell.

"_His _name is Fran, Bel." Mukuro was calm as he spoke, not bothered by Bel's lack of humanity; he understood the blond had lost that part of him after his brother had supposedly been killed, and there was no fixing that kind of damage. "We're just here for some clothes and then we'll leave, okay?"

"The Prince calls dibs on lunch first." Bel's self-referral was something the blue-haired teenager had long since gotten used to – the blond had always been that way, snobbish and self-entitled from being born into such a rich family. "You can buy it since we're here for _your _brat."

Mukuro's gentle smile never faltered as he nodded. Bel had never really understood how one could be as calm as his friend, no matter what kind of insults he threw at Rokudo. The only thing that ever really fazed the taller teenager was when someone pointed out his hair's uncanny resemblance to that of a pineapple.

"We'll stop on the way back to my apartment," Mukuro agreed.

Bel hummed to himself as he followed the younger male around, absentmindedly running hand over clothing every now and then. He was deep in thought, tuning Mukuro out as he thought about the kid his friend was taking in.

_Can't believe what he's doing. Taking in a kid. Rasiel would never have put up with it if I did that. I hate kids. So stupid and ugly. What would Siel have said if he was here? _

"el…?"

Bel blinked, zoning back into reality as Mukuro's distant voice. Turning to look at the younger, he shrugged. "I wasn't listening."

"I could tell," Mukuro replied dryly. "I said I've got everything I need and was about to leave. I called your name several times and you just kept staring at the wall."

Bel shrugged again. "Let's just leave. I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry, Bel." Mukuro started heading towards the registers, knowing his friend would follow.

As expected, Bel stayed behind the other male until they were both seated safely in Mukuro's car, ready to leave.

_**~~XX~~**_

When the two teenagers stepped into Mukuro's apartment not long later, Bel was rather surprised to find the kid seated calmly on Mukuro's couch, a sandwich in his hands as he quietly watched TV. The blond had been expecting to find the apartment trashed, some out-of-control little shit terrorising the blue-haired male's younger sister like a sugared-up monster.

_This is the kid he has? _Bel frowned, not exactly sure what he was feeling; he didn't like kids, hatred always boiling inside of him when he was stuck in a room with one. _He looks like a frog with that green hair. _

The kid was nothing special in Bel's opnion. He was thin, his teal hair messy and hanging down to his shoulders. He looked relaxed where he was, and the clothes he wore were torn and dirty. When the kid spoke, he sounded uninterested.

Green eyes moved over to Mukuro. "Your friend looks scary, Pineapple Fairy."

Bel burst into laughter at these words, completely ignoring the fact he had been called scary, feeling as if the day had been worth it just to hear his friend being called such a thing; he knew how much it irked Mukuro to be compared to a pineapple.

Mukuro's half-sister, Chrome Dokuro, stepped out of the kitchen, smiling shyly at the two males. "H-he's been watching the TV s-since you left, Mukuro…"

Mukuro smiled at his sister before he turned to Bel, cuffing his friend across the head in order to get him to stop laughing.

"Bel, it's not funny," Rokudo deadpanned.

Fran had turned back to the TV, ignoring the commotion by his side. He was more interested in the show he was watching and the sandwich he had been given. He only paid attention to the older boys when Mukuro sat down beside him, introducing the two.

"Bel, this is Fran. Fran, Bel." Mukuro threw the bag he had carried into the apartment down onto the coffee table before them, his voice soft as he spoke. "Your clothes are in there."

Fran nodded, not looking at the blue-haired teenager.

Chrome had moved back into the kitchen to finish washing the dishes, leaving the three males alone in the living room.

Bel was sprawled out on the smaller couch tucked away in the corner while Mukuro and Fran shared the three-seater. Bel was half-asleep, too lazy to go back to his own home, when Rokudo spoke, his words grabbing the blond's attention immediately.

"Where'd that bruise come from, little one?"

Bel opened his eyes and watched as Mukuro brushed teal hair away from Fran's cheek, revealing a large, hand shaped bruise.

"Step-father," Fran answered emotionlessly as his eyes stayed fixated on the TV. "Told you I hated him."

"Ushishishi…" Bel laughed as he sat up, pointing to his friend. "You're gonna get in trouble for stealing the kid. You should hand him back before the police are called."

"They won't care." Fran shrugged. "That's why I ran away. They won't even notice I'm gone."

"How old are you?" Bel questioned curiously.

"Nine." There was a hint of irritation slowly building up in the monotonous voice before teal eyes turned to look at Bel. "You're annoying."

Bel bristled while Mukuro just laughed.

Getting to his feet, Bel stomped over to the two, his eyes shining dangerously behind his fringe. "Stupid peasant – the Prince is _not _annoying."

"Be quiet, Fake-Prince."

"Kufufu…" Mukuro was next to stand up, putting his hand on Bel's shoulder as he led the older male to the front door. He opened it before he pushed Bel outside, smiling. "It's been nice to see you again, Bel, but you're getting aggressive. Talk to you later. Bye."

With that said, Mukuro closed the door in his friend's face, not even waiting for a reply. Going back to his spot on the couch, he grabbed one of the magazines sitting on the coffee table, flicking through it quietly.

"Your friend is stupid."

Mukuro looked at Fran, meeting teal eyes. "Kufufu… Got that right, little one."

The two fell into a comfortable silence, Fran watching the TV and Mukuro pulling his iPod from his pocket to listen to music.

_**~~XX~~**_

Not far from Mukuro's apartment, Bel laid in his bed, his eyes staring up at the ceiling. _That kid… He's actually kind of cute when he's not being a smartass. Urgh… Am I getting a soft spot for a _brat? _Fuck. _

Not wanting to think too much on the teal-haired kid, Bel closed his eyes and went back to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Eight years ago, if anyone had told Bel he'd wind up in the future with Fran as his boyfriend, he'd have stabbed them in the face with the knives he had made himself.

For about a year or so of knowing Fran, the blond had hated the kid. Fran was so honest it was brutality when he spoke his opinion, which often led to the older male trying to strangle him after being told he was nothing but a self-proclaimed prince.

In all honesty, Bel wasn't sure when he had stopped hating Fran and started seeing him as someone he wanted to protect – much less unsure of when he had started feeling more than just fondness for the boy.

Mukuro had been fine with their relationship, considering he saw Fran as his own child and the boy was still in school. Bel figured it was because the younger male trusted him to take care of Fran.

Right now, Bel was waiting out of the front of Fran's school in his car for the teenager to finish. Mukuro and Chrome were out of town for a few days so the blond had been entrusted to look after the kid.

Bel had it all planned out; he was going to take Fran for ice cream and then they'd go see a movie together before going back to the blond's house to spend the rest of the day making love. He knew Fran wouldn't object; the boy was placid and happy to just be with the older male.

The older male hadn't waited very long before Fran opened the car door and sat down, leaning over for his usual kiss. Bel, as always, was only too eager to devour those lips. He pressed roughly against them, his tongue demanding entrance and, once it was granted, he aggressively pushed Fran against the door as his tongue dominated the smaller one.

"Nngh." Fran moaned as he pushed against Bel's shoulders, telling the other he had had enough. He didn't mind the blond's dominance but people were watching with disgust on their faces.

When Bel pulled away, Fran straightened his green school jacket before he leaned forward and placed a kiss on his lover's cheek. "You should save that stuff for when we're at home, senpai."

"Ushishishi…" Bel's thumb rubbed affectionately against the boy's cheek before he turned his attention back to the car. "Froggy likes it rough, doesn't he?"

"I have no choice; rough is all you ever want." Fran looked out of the window as he felt the car start to move.

"Ah, but the prince was gentle for Froggy's first time," Bel pointed out, "and if Froggy wants it gentle again, all he has to do is ask."

"I'll keep it in mind." Fran didn't question why they were heading in the opposite direction of Bel's house; he had been told in advance they had a date today. He liked it when they went on dates; it showed more of the barely-existent soft side his lover had – as much as he loved Bel, sometimes it was hard when everything they did together was rough and fast-paced, the exception the first time they made love together. Fran knew the only reason Bel had been careful then was because the boy had still been a virgin and didn't want to ruin the experience or scare him off by hurting him.

Bel was a loving boyfriend, Fran couldn't deny that; the blond just had his quirks that made onlookers ask the younger partner how he could be with someone like Bel. The older male had a tendency to rage and inadvertently taking it out on his lover with shoves, yelling and the occasional slap, but with their rare occurrence he had learnt how to work around it, knowing Bel would make up for it with love and tenderness.

The first time Fran had been hit was when someone had accused Bel of being a pedophile. The boy had silently left without a word, heading back to his home. He had cried into Mukuro as he told his father-figure what had happened, and it then he had been told about Rasiel and how Bel had never healed from the loss. He had learnt that, somehow in Bel's damaged mind, the blond had construed the situation to be one where he was about to lose Fran in the same manner he had lost Rasiel, and all he could do was lash out in blind terror.

"We're here."

Bel's voice jerked the boy out of his thoughts. Fran looked around to see they were parked by an ice cream parlour.

_This is a first, _Fran thought as he unbuckled his seatbelt. _I come here all the time with Mukuro and Chrome but never with just Bel. Sometimes he comes with us but I've never been here with just him. _

"Are you trying to run for the father-figure in my life now?" Fran questioned bluntly as he closed the car door.

"Ushishishi…" Bel shook his head. "Don't need to when you spend more time in my house than his apartment these days."

Fran just shrugged as Bel came to his side, calmly accepting the warm arm that wrapped around his shoulders and pressed him against the much taller body beside him. Fran only came up to his lover's middle, but the blond claimed his shortness made him even cuter.

Fran was quiet as Bel ordered their usual ice creams, watching the other people in the parlour curiously. He was naturally a quiet person, more of a listener than someone who could keep the conversation flowing smoothly.

The teal-haired boy moved along when he felt Bel jerk him slightly, his eyes fixed on the vanilla ice cream he was being handed.

"Don't eat it all at once," Bel said before his voice took on that lusty undertone Fran knew all too well. "The prince may want to try some later on."

"Eh? But Fake-Prince, what if you decide you don't want any and it all melts because I was waiting on you?"

"Then I'll just have to lick it up, won't I?"

Fran felt a shiver of want slide down his spine as his crotch twitched in excitement. He cleared his throat, having no comeback to those words, so he instead put his lips against his ice cream, licking it tentatively.

Behind long bangs, Bel watched that pink tongue work against the ice cream, licking his lips as he thought about other things the boy could lick.

Shaking his head, Bel pushed away the lustful thoughts, knowing here was not the time to be aroused; Fran didn't like to be intimate in public, much less carry out sexual acts somewhere out of the privacy of their bedroom.

It was quiet between them as the two became lost in their respective thoughts until Fran spoke from his seat beside Bel.

"Hey, senpai? What else are we doing today?"

"Movie," Bel stated, his eyes fixed on the white speck of ice cream sliding down Fran's chin. He held back a moan as his mind traversed into dirty thoughts. Leaning down, he licked the treat away, making sure to press his lips roughly against smaller ones for good measure.

The two ignored the looks that were sent their way, having long since gotten used to them; they had started dating shortly after Fran's fifteenth birthday, and the age difference between them had been much more noticeable than it was now.

"Hope it's not a boring one or I'll have to go to sleep," Fran replied. He dug his tongue into his cone, trying to scoop out what was left of the ice cream but not having much luck.

The blond knew his lover wasn't a fan of the cones so, holding his hand out expectantly, he smirked when the treat was placed in his palm. He made sure to run his tongue tantalisingly slow against the cone, his eyes watching the haze cross into teal ones.

Leaning forward, his hot breath hit Fran's ear, sending shivers down his body. He whispered, "You'll get this tonight, Froggy."

Fran could only nod, the lump of desire in his throat making it hard to speak.

Bel ate the last of his own ice cream before following it with Fran's cone. He stood up and stretched before he reached down, grabbing the smaller hand with his.

"Let's go, Froggy." Bel tugged as he started walking, knowing they had places to be. Truth was, he had stopped caring long ago about the movie; he just wanted the main course of their date.

_**~~A few hours later~~**_

Fran yawned as he curled closer into his boyfriend's chest, having only just woken up. As promised, he had gone to sleep during the movie, not caring much for the blood that seemed to splatter from some poor sap every two minutes.

Bel was carrying the boy out of the cinema, just wanting to hold his lover. He didn't pay attention to anyone around him, a large smile on his face as he thought about how they would make love tonight.

_Should I take him missionary like I usually do? _Bel hummed out loud at the thought. _Or maybe he could ride me. No; he rode me last time. Doggy style? I don't think he likes that very much. Perhaps I could – _

"Bel-senpai…?" Fran's tired voice broke through the blond's thoughts. He pursed his lips when Bel hummed again, showing his attention. "Bel-senpai, I don't think I'm in the mood for sex tonight."

Bel felt his stomach drop at these words. Not… in the… mood…?

"But it's our –"

"I know, senpai…" Fran spoke softly, knowing he had upset the older man; their dates always ended with Bel trying to make the sex better than it had ever been between them. "I'm just tired with school and all that… I think I want to sleep tonight…"

Bel leant down, nuzzling his cheek against the one below him. "In the morning?"

Fran nodded, closing his eyes as he tried to fall back asleep. "Sure…"

Bel sighed, but he wasn't going to force the boy if Fran wasn't in the mood, no matter how disappointed he was.

The walk back to the car was quiet. Fran was fast asleep once again and Bel was checking for oncoming cars before he crossed the road. However, a familiar head of hair caught his eye heading out of the convenience store just to his left.

Blinking, Bel was almost sure he was hallucinating – until that person turned and started walking towards them, revealing a face he couldn't possibly forget.

"S-siel…?"

Was Rasiel… alive and in front of him…?


	4. Chapter 4

Bel's body seemed frozen as he watched who he was certain was his long-dead twin walking towards him. The other didn't acknowledge him and Bel couldn't even tell if maybe-Rasiel was looking at him – just like in their childhood days, blond hair hid eyes the twins only showed to each other.

When maybe-Rasiel walked past Bel, the younger twin was still stuck in that same spot, the confusion, the heartbreak, the longing – the _love _and _want _for his brother to still be alive and here all conflicting. But if it was Rasiel, why had nothing been said? Why had his family been left to suffer for so many years?

"Siel…?" Even Bel's voice sounded as weak as he was feeling, coming out in nothing but a pathetic whimper.

The blond's body only unfroze once he knew the other male was long gone. Fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall down his face, he clutched Fran tighter to his chest as he ran into the store the double had walked out of.

Hurrying to the desk, Bel growled out to the man behind it, "Who was it that just left here?"

The man seemed taken aback but replied nonetheless. "He's one of my employees. His name is Rasiel. Why?"

Hearing that sweet name he thought he would never hear again, Bel whimpered as hot tears fell down his cheeks. His hold on Fran was shaking and his legs felt like jelly. "Get him back here. Now."

Intimidated by Bel and not wanting to further agitate the situation, the man scurried for the phone hanging on the wall behind him. He summoned his employee back with the mention of a brother here for him and, hanging up, quickly excused himself out the back.

Bel wiped at his eyes as he moved to one of the tables sitting out on the floor. He kicked a chair out with enough space for him to sit on, careful to cradle Fran comfortably in his arms as he waited for his brother.

The blond was in turmoil. His brother… alive… But Fran… what would it mean for Fran…? If Rasiel came back to him, Fran…

Shaking his head, Bel tried not to think on it, deciding he'd work it out whenever the situation called for it.

It didn't take much longer for that familiar head of hair to poke itself into the store and, when Bel saw it, his mind went blank. He didn't remember dropping Fran to the ground in his haste to wrap his arms around his twin and cry into the older brother's chest, taking in the familiar scent he would drown in during his childhood.

Rasiel just stood there, not knowing what to do. He didn't mind the contact; somewhere in his heart, it felt _right _to be like this. But there was still the issue that he really didn't have any idea on who was hugging him except that he had claimed to be his brother.

"Who are you?"

Bel didn't think anything had ever hurt him more than hear those words from the brother he had loved his entire life. Tightening his hold on the brown jacket the older twin wore, Bel struggled to compose himself – but he only managed to cry harder, never wanting to let Rasiel go again.

Fran, who had woken up after hitting the tiled floor, stared up at the situation. He wasn't fully aware of what was going on, only that Bel's lookalike was here and said blond was in hysterics. Could it be…? But wasn't Rasiel dead…? Or…?

"Are you Rasiel?" Fran questioned. He frowned when the twin nodded, not knowing what to think. "I thought you died. That's what I was told."

Rasiel was silent for a few seconds before he spoke. "I was… in an accident… I remember crawling away from the wreckage, knowing only my name… I didn't know what had happened, so I ran away until I was taken in by a family… We moved shortly after that, and I only came back here a few months ago to try and remember..."

Bel lifted his head to whimper in the most heartbroken voice Fran had ever heard, "Don't you remember how much we loved each other…?"

The teal-haired boy felt his stomach churn at these words. It hurt to hear Bel – his best friend, his lover, his _world _– say that to someone else. He tried to reason with himself that Rasiel was Bel's twin and had been there first, but it still _hurt. _

Keeping his mouth closed, Fran pulled himself into the chair, hugging his knees to his chest.

"I'm sorry." Rasiel didn't know what else to say. Maybe it _was _true they were brothers – they certainly looked the part – but how could he trust the word of someone he had just met?

Bel pulled away, desperate for his brother to come back into his life. Putting his hands on his twin's shoulders, he looked into where he knew Rasiel's eyes were, hidden by his bangs. "Please, come back with me… You have no idea how much I've missed you…"

Rasiel shook his head. "I don't know you. I'm sorry, but I don't."

"You're… my twin…" Bel gasped his words out, the onslaught of emotions breaking him down physically as well as mentally.

"I'm sorry…" What was Rasiel supposed to do? Give in? Who knew what kind of person this stranger was – he didn't even know his _name! _How was he to know they really were twins?

Bel – as hurt as he was feeling – didn't want to give up. He wanted to shove Rasiel into his car and take him home and love him forever more, but he knew he couldn't do that.

Instead, the younger twin pulled a pen and some paper from one of his pockets, scribbing his name, phone number and address on it. He grabbed Rasiel's hand before weakly dropping the paper in it, hoping Siel would utilise it somehow.

"Please…" Bel grabbed a handful of hair, pulling at it before he continued his sentence, "…please, don't forget me again…"

Rasiel just nodded as he turned to leave, needing time to think about everything that had happened. It was true he had no memories before the accident, but he couldn't blindly believe everything he was told; someone sick could know he was an amnesiac and be out to hurt him.

Bel, however, was leaning on his knees as he stared out of the door where Rasiel had disappeared, feeling his world crumble just like it had all those years ago. He felt Fran's hand on his shoulder but he couldn't acknowledge the other – not even when soft lips pressed against his cheek.

"Bel-senpai…?" Fran didn't know what to do; he had never seen Bel like this before. It was _scary. _Bel had always been so confident, _aggressive _and _dangerous_, never one to give in to weakness like this. Had Rasiel really meant so much to him…? "Bel-senpai, we need to go home now…"

Bel just nodded numbly, standing only with the help of Fran. He leant against the younger, tiny frame, his limbs too weak to support his own weight. He didn't question when he was pushed into the passenger's seat of his own car, knowing Fran was right in doing so; there was no way he could drive like this.

Fran, though only a learning driver, had enough experience to get them home safely. He helped get Bel back into the house and laid him down in bed, not knowing what else he could do. Should he call Mukuro? Maybe not; he and Chrome had other things on their plates right now.

Sitting on the bed beside Bel, Fran couldn't help but feel hurt over the impact Rasiel had on Bel. He felt he was nothing compared to the twin – a replacement. He knew of the relationship they had when they were younger; it was just like the one he has with Bel. If Rasiel came back into Bel's life, he felt as if he was going to be pushed away, unwanted, and he couldn't cope with that. He loved Bel. He didn't want to share or to lose him, and he knew he was being selfish considering the situation, but still…

"Hey, Froggy…?"

Fran looked down, his mood lifting slightly when he heard Bel's voice wasn't so weak at the moment.

"Froggy, I'm sorry…" Bel sat up and lifted Fran onto his lip, placing his lips as gently as he could on his lover's. He knew how the younger must be feeling, and he felt horrible. "…You're a lot of things, Froggy, but a replacement you will never be… I love you…"

Fran nodded, fighting back the tears that threatened to overwhelm him. The thought of losing Bel was one he just couldn't bear. Whispering, "I love you, too…", the boy allowed himself to be pulled down to lay against his lover's chest, the familiar feeling of a warm hand rubbing his back soothing him into sleep.

Bel followed shortly after, knowing what he was doing to Fran. As much as he loved his brother, he needed to make sure he was taking care of Fran's needs, too. The boy had been the one he had allowed into his life, and he wouldn't let him go so easily – he loved Fran too much to abandon him.


	5. Chapter 5

**When life gives me lemons… Well, it depends. I either read them or drool, or I write my own. **

Within the next few days, Bel hadn't heard from his brother. He had been dismayed at first but was slowly starting to settle back down, knowing it wasn't the end of the world – not when he had Fran. The fact that Rasiel really was still alive shouldn't change anything between them – not when he had been fine with Fran before the older twin came back.

For once, Bel had woken up before Fran had. It was a rare occurrence given how lazy the blond was, but this morning he had woken up with the strong urge to eat ice cream.

When Fran woke up and left the bedroom in just his pyjamas, he honestly was not surprised in the least to find his lover sitting on the couch with an oversized bucket of ice cream in his hold, the spoon still in his mouth. His knees were drawn to his chest and his attention seemed to be on the television in front of him.

"Really, senpai?" Fran walked into the kitchen that was connected to the back of the living room, aiming for the fridge so he could have his usual morning glass of milk. He called back through the archway that separated the two rooms, "are you on your period again?"

"What's wrong with ice cream for breakfast?" Bel called back. "And what was that about my period? I should stab you, Froggy!"

Fran rolled his eyes as he moved back into the living room to sit on the couch beside Bel. He had long since grown used to threats like that, knowing that Bel would only ever act on them when directed at anyone but the teal-haired boy.

"Senpai, what's on the TV?" Fran took a sip of his milk as he searched for the remote, not wanting to watch the morning news that it had defaulted to.

Bel just shrugged. "Haven't looked."

_Why is that not surprising? _Fran sighed as he placed his glass on the coffee table in front of them, getting up to look for the remote. _He was probably too lazy to look for the stupid device and change the channel._

"Froggy, I think it's under my jacket over there." Bel pointed over to where his black jacket lay, having been discarded carelessly by the front door.

"Why would the remote be all the way over there?" Fran questioned as he left to pick up the jacket and put it on the coat rack. "And stop leaving your clothes all over the place. There's a coat rack on the wall for a reason."

"But, Froggy!" Bel whined childishly. "It's so far away!"

"You can't raise your arm after stepping through the door?"

"Nope~ Ushishishishi."

On the outside, Fran was scowling as he hung the jacket up on its hook and- as expected- finding no remote underneath it. However, he was glad that Bel was falling back into being himself; he had been worried that finding out Rasiel was still alive would have been too much.

Glancing at the clock that sat on the bookshelf in the corner of the living room, Fran noticed it was almost time for him to get ready for school.

"Senpai, I'm going to have a shower," the teal-haired boy said absentmindedly as he mentally went over his classes for the day. "I won't be – stop drinking my milk, fake-prince!"

Bel just turned to face his lover, staring intently into the younger's eyes as he licked the white ring from his top lip in a seductive manner.

Fran just sighed and shook his head. "Whatever. I'll be out soon."

Bel went back to eating his ice cream, taking the occasional gulp of Fran's milk as his eyes went back to the news. He wasn't interested in what was happening – he was hoping that Fran would let him have morning sex.

Ten minutes had gone by before Fran made his way out into the living room again, adjusting the red tie that was part of his uniform; he always left it hanging loose, hating the way it felt so constricting around his neck. He noticed Bel was still cradling the bucket of ice cream like a baby and he couldn't help but roll his eyes again.

"No wonder I thought you were tooth decay for the better half of my time knowing you."

"Forget about that~" the blond put the bucket down next to Fran's now-empty glass. "Let's have sex~"

"I have school, Bel-senpai." Fran ignored his lover's pleas and moved to put the bucket of ice cream back in the freezer.

"We've done it heaps of times before you went to school." Bel pouted. "The prince wants sex…"

"You have a hand," Fran pointed out. "You can use that if you're so desperate to get off."

Bel groaned as he raised a hand to his face. "Why doesn't Froggy want to have sex?"

"I just don't." Fran couldn't help the cold tone that seeped into his voice; they both knew he was jealous of Rasiel.

"Aww, Froggy…" Bel stood up and approached Fran, wrapping his arms around the skinny body. "Froggy should understand he's still loved. I love you, Fran."

"…" Fran knew he still loved Bel, but he just wasn't sure what to think about Rasiel. "…I love you, too, senpai…"

Bel kissed the younger's cheek as he nuzzled closer to him. Fran didn't resist the affection and, with a still-half-hard erection making his desires known to the younger, slipped his hand beneath the boy's red shirt. 

Fran didn't stop his lover; he instead leant back into the man's arms, letting out a soft sigh as he felt fingertips ghost against his left nipple.

Tilting his head back to rest against Bel's shoulder, Fran looked up at the older male's face, his lips parting wordlessly.

Bel grinned, knowing that Fran had finally given in to his advances. Pressing his mouth against the pale skin of Fran's neck, he bit down hard enough to draw blood, eliciting a pleasured whimper from his lover. He lapped up at the blood, savouring the taste on his tongue, before he sucked on the wound, wanting to add as many love bites to the already-littered area – a silent warning to keep away from what was his.

"Bel-senpai…" Fran closed his eyes as he felt himself becoming aroused, his erection pressing against his pants.

The blond took his time marking Fran, twisting and squeezing hard nipples before he addressed any other part of the boy. He ran his hand down the younger's side as he licked at the field of hickeys he had left on Fran that hadn't healed yet.

Fran moaned, tilting his head to give Bel more access. His breath hitched as a warm hand slipped beneath the waistband of his pants, wrapping around his hardened member within seconds.

"S-sen…pai…" Fran whimpered in pleasure as he rocked his hips into Bel's hand, licking his lips. He opened his eyes, watching as the large hand that was wrapped around him moved back and forth, working with his rocking.

Turning Fran around, Bel leant down and pulled the red shirt up so that he could lick and suck at hard nubs. Fran moaned and arched into the touch, rubbing his erection against the crotch of Bel's pants. He cried out loudly as he felt teeth bite down on his right nipple, needing more of the sensations he had come to love.

"B-bel…senpai…" Fran whimpered and closed his eyes as sweat started dripping down his face. He let out a loud cry as the hand that was still in his pants squeezed him again and panted heavily, leaning heavily against the man in front of him.

Bel was unbelievably hard at hearing his lover's beautiful sounds, and he needed more.

"Fuck. Knees. _Now." _Bel snarled.

Fran didn't need to be told twice; he dropped to his knees without a second's hesitation. He kneeled the bulge with a hungry eye as he reached up, unzipping Bel's pants before dropping them just low enough to reveal the large erection that waited for his attention.

With practised ease, Fran forced the organ into his mouth, reaching down to grope at himself as he did so. He loved hearing Bel's pleasured cries when the man got a blowjob; they were loud, breathless, unrestrained - _arousing. _They were different from they actually had sex – in those times, Bel's moans were low and guttural between growls.

"Fuck…" Bel slammed his hips forward, knowing Fran could take it; they had been in this position enough times to know that. "Take it, Froggy…"

Fran moved his head up and down, using his right hand to massage the base. He hummed, sending vibrations down the shaft in his mouth.

Bel wrapped his hand in teal hair, pulling at the strands. He thrust forward again a few more times, knowing that Fran was opening his throat just for him to fill it.

Fran's hand worked slowly against himself, his teal eyes staring up at Bel's face. He couldn't see the man's eyes, but he could see the sweat that was starting to drip down his face.

"F-fuck…" Bel's legs shook beneath him, and as much as he would love for this to continue, it still wasn't enough for his needs.

Reaching out and pulling Fran's red face from his crotch, Bel smoothed the stray hairs that had fallen into teal eyes. Licking his lips, Bel observed the younger's face. Layers of sweat coated Fran's flushed face, his lips swollen and red. His half-lidded eyes held the very familiar expression of lust Bel was so accustomed to seeing.

"I want sex, Froggy." Bel bit down once more on Fran's neck as if to emphasise his point. "Please?"

Fran couldn't disagree; he, too, was left with a very painful hard-on he just didn't want to relieve himself.

"Okay, Bel-senpai." Fran allowed himself to be picked up and thrown aggressively onto the couch before his lover crawled on top of him and rubbed their exposed shafts together.

"B-bel…!" Fran threw his head back as he called out loudly, his hips meeting the older male's rocks. Panting heavily, he looked up at the blond, his voice quivering from arousal. "W-where's the… condom…?"

"No~!" Bel whined childishly. "Too lazy to… go get it…! Just this once?"

"Bel-senpai, I – a-ahh! …Mukuro will b-be mad if we – oh, G-god! – if we don't… use one…"

"Just don't tell him," Bel whispered huskily into the boy's ear, his hot breath sending pleasurable shudders down the younger's spine.

Fran was intoxicated by his hypersensitivity, and he just nodded.

The blond presented three fingers to Fran's lips. He grinned when they were eagerly accepted, watching with hazy eyes as his lover sucked on them, nipping every now and then playfully.

Bel let out a strangled moan as he watched Fran slide his hand down his body before wrapping around himself, stroking his hardened shaft as the fingers left his mouth, only a thin string of saliva still connecting them.

"You turn the prince on so much, baby…" Bel whispered as he leant down for another kiss, rubbing his wet fingers around Fran's entrance.

The smaller male shifted his hips as the first finger slid in, letting out a small moan into Bel's mouth. He sighed softly as he felt the blond suck on his tongue. Moving his left hand up from where it rested by his side, he grabbed his lover's leaking erection and caressed it, quivering in excitement at the knowledge of what was coming.

When Bel slipped in the second finger, the younger tensed slightly before relaxing, knowing that despite how rough and aggressive Bel was when they had sex, the man had never set out to hurt him – aggressiveness was just part of his lover's nature.

"Do you like this, Froggy?" Bel's husky voice hissed into Fran's ear as he stroked his finger's against the smaller male's spot. "Does it make Froggy as hard as it makes the prince?"

Fran could only whimper as he nodded. "B-bel…"

Easing his third finger inside, Bel scissored and curled his fingers, holding himself back from pulling his digits out and slamming into the boy as hard as he could.

The boy, however, seemed to be sick of the preparation. "S-senpai…" Wriggling his hips slightly, the teal-haired child whispered in a lusty voice, "Can you just do it already?"

Ripping his fingers from the teenager's insides, the blond spat into his hand before coating himself in saliva, not wanting to go and get the bottle of lube he always kept under the pillow.

Fran forced himself to relax as he felt the tip push inside. He knew it would halt for a few seconds, just far enough inside to open him wide enough, before slamming inside with all the strength Bel could muster.

Fran cried out, partly in pain from the intrusion and the pleasure. He tilted his head to the side, waiting for his body to adjust. He knew every second Bel had to wait killed the man inside, so as soon the pain died down, he moved his hips, signalling the older man to move.

Bel, as soon as he could, laid on top of Fran, dwarfing the boy beneath him, as he rocked violently into the other, sliding him across the black fabric of the couch.

Fran's hands slid beneath the white pyjama shirt his lover was still wearing, his nails tearing scarred flesh as he gripped desperately for life. He cried out as his spot was pummelled, his usually quiet voice screaming in pleasure.

"B-bel…! Ungh! Bel…!"

"That's it," Bel grunted as the weight of his body crushed the scrawny one underneath him. "Scream for me, Froggy. Nngh…"

The seventeen-year-old could feel the familiar tightening in his stomach as Bel's aggressive thrusts increased in pace. He slid his head beneath their bodies, pumping his shaft as the blond rubbed and squeezed his balls.

"S-senpai…!" Fran gasped out, his hand quickening along himself. His body writhed as his climax neared, whimpering as he felt as if he were about to explode. "I-I'm… nngh…"

"Tell me, Froggy…" Bel gasped, holding the base of Fran's smaller cock so that he couldn't orgasm just yet. "What are you… about to… do…?"

"Senpai…!" Fran choked, the need to release almost overwhelming. "I… I-I'm…"

"Tell me, Froggy," Bel demanded.

"I need… to cum…" Fran whimpered.

"Good boy." With that said, Bel released the younger, almost instantly his lover arch into his body.

Screaming, Fran cried out loudly, "I'm cumming, senpai!"

"Let it happen." Biting down on Fran's neck, Bel felt the hot sticky liquid squirt onto his exposed stomach. As the younger clenched around him, he felt his own climax hitting him.

Bel emptied himself into the boy, groaning gutturally as he did so.

Letting himself fall onto the boy, Bel wrapped his jelly-like arms around Fran, holding him close as he rolled them onto their sides.

Fran, having always used a condom when he was with Bel due to Mukuro's wishes, was finding the feel of liquid seeping out of his backside to be quite strange. It wasn't unpleasant, but he knew that – if his orgasm hadn't already stained his uniform – he would need to change his pants.

The two males laid together in silence, pants filling the air, no words needing to be spoken between them. Bel's eyes were closed as he waited for his high to dissipate, and the teal-haired boy was content with just being by his lover.

"The prince loves his Froggy," Bel whispered after a while, tightening his hold on the boy.

Fran snuggled in closer, nodding. "I love my prince, too."

"Can Froggy skip school and stay with the prince?" the blond asked, a hopeful tone in his voice.

"Senpai, I have to go to school or else Mukuro will be mad at you for letting me stay home."

Bel sighed before he replied in understanding. "Let the prince drive Froggy to school, then?"

"Of course, senpai. I need to change my clothes, though. I'll be back."

Bel didn't want to let his lover go, but he reluctantly did so. Laughing, he teased, "Is Froggy dirty from being naughty for his lover?"

"Shut up, pervert."

The two males smiled as Fran disappeared into their bedroom, the two content with how their morning had went.


	6. Chapter 6

Fran had been surprised to find that his blond lover hadn't texted him saying that he would pick the younger up from school, so once the bell had rung and Fran got his stuff in order, he walked home with his friends from Namimori Middle. There was a timid brunet named Tsunayoshi Sawada, his angsty, over-protective best friend, Hayato Gokudera, and the youngest of the group – as well as the most cheerful and outgoing, not to mention tallest – Takeshi Yamamoto.

Fran couldn't remember how he had met these three, much less become friends with them, but they were good company every now and then.

As the teal-haired boy listened silently to the younger three converse – or argue, on Gokudera's behalf – his eyes wandered over to Bel's house, stopping when he noticed the unfamiliar red car parked against the curb.

"What's wrong, Fran?" Tsuna asked as he noticed the usually emotionless boy's face change into one of confusion.

"I just…" The cogs in Fran's mind turned, but he could barely convey his thoughts, let alone understand them. "…I just haven't seen that car before, and… I…"

"Hey, are you okay?" Yamamoto wrapped his arm around the smaller boy's shoulder, holding him close.

Fran sighed, trying to tell himself that it was probably nothing – there would be no blond twin in what may as well be his home, trying to steal what was _his _boyfriend.

"…I'm fine. I should go in. Bel-senpai may be worried."

The trio shared concerned glances before they nodded, knowing Fran wasn't the type of person to talk about what was bothering him. They said their goodbyes and watched as Fran walked into the house, hoping he would be okay.

"What was eating him?" Gokudera asked as they started walking once again. "He sure seemed upset about a _car."_

"Whatever's bothering him, maybe we should wait for him to bring it up before we do," Tsuna said softly.

"Hope he'll be okay." Yamamoto's usual happy-go-lucky smile was gone, replaced instead by a tiny frown.

"He's tough." Tsuna smiled back in reassurance. "I'm sure he'll be okay."

_**~~Fran~~**_

As Fran kicked his shoes off and placed them next to the door, he couldn't help but frown as he heard Bel laughing happily from the living room. Tightening his hold on his bag as if it would keep the problems away, the boy continued further into the house, finding that his suspicions had been correct – Rasiel was sitting on the couch by Bel, an identical smile to his twin brother's on his face.

"Senpai…" Fran kept his face emotionless as he struggled to find something to say. "…"

The twins turned at Fran's voice, finding the boy standing behind them. Rasiel's smile was faint as he observed the younger, while Bel reached up, grabbing hold of the green school jacket his lover was wearing.

"How was school?" Bel questioned, tugging at his boyfriend to join them on the couch.

"It was fine, senpai." Fran reluctantly obeyed the blond's wishes, taking a seat on the familiar lap. He made sure to glare at Rasiel when Bel wasn't looking, wanting the first-born to know he wasn't welcome here.

"Rasiel is going to stay here for a few days with us." Bel rested his chin on the younger's shoulder, smiling as if he thought that was the best thing to ever happen to him.

Fran knew he had no right to object to this – this was Bel's house, Bel's _family _– but he wasn't happy with it at _all. _He'd rather go back to his _own _home if Rasiel were going to be here, but neither Mukuro nor Bel would let him stay in an empty apartment by himself.

Rasiel could see that teal-haired boy didn't like him. It was obvious in everything the younger did. He couldn't say it bothered him – he didn't like that brat, either. Something about the way he and Bel were so close together made his blood boil for reasons he didn't understand – but if Bel were the only family he had, he wasn't going to ruin it because of some spoilt brat.

"Ne, Froggy?"

Fran glanced up at Bel's voice. "What is it, senpai?"

"Siel and I are going to have lunch together in town." Bel sighed, as if this were something he had been looking forward to for a lifetime. "Would you mind going to a friend's house while we're out?"

Fran was _not _happy. How _dare _Rasiel just barge in like this on their lives? For all he cared, Rasiel could go and _die. _

But the teal-haired boy loved Bel too much to admit this. "…Sure…"

"Great." Bel smiled, oblivious to Fran's anger; he was far too enthralled with his twin to notice. "I'll drop you off at –"

"No need," Fran spat, pulling himself away from his lover. He stormed over to his school bag he had dropped behind the couch, hatred rolling from the tip of his tongue as he blew up at the wrong person. "I'll walk, idiot-senpai. Leave me alone."

Those words hurt Bel, but he didn't say anything to the younger; he just dropped his head and stared down at his lap, trying to understand what he had done wrong – Bel wasn't the type of person who would admit he made mistakes and believed he was entitled to whatever he wanted, but when it concerned Fran, it was a different story.

"…Was it something the prince said…?" Bel wondered aloud.

Rasiel just leant forward and wrapped his arms around the younger twin in comfort. It felt so right to him, he wanted to touch his brother more – but he was certain Bel wasn't into incest, and the second-born already had a lover.

_Shame…_ Rasiel thought to himself as he pulled away. He looked down at his hands, the urge to touch literally itching on his palms.

Bel, however, just stood up, his happy smile back on his face. "Siel, I know the perfect place to go."

"Where's that, little brother?" Rasiel asked, having been told their history together – without just one huge detail, of course.

"Takesushi." Bel straightened his black jacket before reaching down to take Rasiel's hand.

A shiver ran through Rasiel's body as he took his brother's hand, quickly coming to the conclusion that there had to be more than just brotherly love between them – what was he forgetting?

Bel, on the other hand, was trying to work out whether or not he should tell Rasiel the true nature of their relationship – but how was he supposed to tell his twin that their relationship was of a sexual one, begun by Rasiel himself talking the younger blond into acts Bel had no knowledge of?

_The prince will tell him when the time is right. _Bel nodded to himself, deciding that was how he would handle it.

_**~~Takesushi~~**_

It was never a surprise when Yamamoto's father, Tsuyoshi, would greet Bel as if they were long-time close friends and give him free meals; it was the man's appreciation towards Fran for being such good friends towards his son.

"This is actually pretty good." Rasiel was content with his plate of sushi, silently thanking his brother for bringing him here. "How did you find this place?"

"The owner's son is good friends with my Froggy," Bel explained as he made quick work of the rice on his plate. "I came here with Froggy to see him."

Rasiel wasn't pleased to continuously hear about 'Froggy', wanting his brother to himself, but he didn't say anything about it, just humming in reply. He had been called greedy many times throughout the life he remembered, and even told he was spiteful in vicious ways. Rasiel didn't see it that way; rather, what's yours is his, and what is his is his.

"So what became of Mother and Father?" Rasiel questioned.

Bel shrugged. "The prince hasn't talked to them in years."

"Ushesheshe…" Rasiel, so like his brother in so many ways, found this funny, though he couldn't understand why – he didn't remember them, but something told him they weren't worth remembering.

"Do you remember Mukuro Rokudo, by any chance?" Bel asked, his obscured eyes bright and shining with happiness. "He was the prince's best friend when you had the accident. You didn't get along with him, ushishishi…"

Rasiel shook his head. "All that's coming to the king is the mental image of a pineapple."

Bel laughed harder than he had in a long time at these words, trying to calm down before he spoke. "That's Mukuro!"

Rasiel blinked behind his bangs. "Your best friend was a pineapple?"

"Ushishishi…" Bel lifted a hand to his mouth, sniggering into it. "Mukuro is a person but looks like a pineapple. Ushishishi…"

"Bel?"

Bel turned at his name, finding Fran's friend, Yamamoto standing behind him. "Hello, peasant. Shishishi…"

"Where's Fran?" Dark eyes blinked as they observed Rasiel. "And who is this?"

"The prince doesn't know where Froggy is, but this is the prince's twin, Rasiel."

"Oh, hello." Yamamoto smiled at the newcomer, his outgoing personality shining through. "I didn't know Bel had a sibling."

Rasiel didn't reply to this, not interested in Yamamoto at all; the only one he wanted to talk to was his _brother. _For as long as he could remember, he had always looked down on everyone, putting himself on a pedestal he believed was fit only for him – the one and only person he had met who seemed worthy of his time was Bel, his mirror reflection.

"Ne, peasant?" Bel grabbed Yamamoto's attention, knowing the younger was used to his mannerisms – even if he weren't, Bel wouldn't have cared much for hurt feelings. "Do you know where my Froggy went?"

Yamamoto frowned before he replied. "We walked home together and he went inside. Why?"

"I think Froggy is mad at the prince," Bel explained. "If you see him, tell him to come back home."

"You aren't going after him, Bel?" Rasiel couldn't have cared less if Bel let the nuisance run to his death; he was rather curious as to why his twin stayed with _him _and not Fran.

"Froggy is old enough to take care of himself," Bel said softly.

"He's probably with Tsuna," Yamamoto offered. "I'll text him and see if he has his phone on him."

"Oh, the prince is grateful." Bel smiled, happy that Fran had such good friends. "Tell him the prince… that I am sorry if I did something wrong."

Yamamoto knew Bel well enough to know that if Bel didn't refer to himself as a prince when talking to people he viewed as lesser beings, not only was he being sincere, but his emotions were getting the better of him.

"I'll tell him," Yamamoto offered. He patted Bel's arm before he left to head upstairs, knowing he had left his phone on his bed when he came home from school.

"Ah, Siel," Bel seemed chipper once again, the slight drop in his mood gone. "Siel, do you want to do anything in town after this?"

Rasiel smiled, glad to see his brother happy once again – if he ever got that little toad on its own, he would strangle it for making his little brother sad. "The king doesn't mind."

Bel giggled happily, his long, slender fingers pointing to his brother. "You still refer to yourself as a king. I remember when you always did that when we were little."

"I was a king back then, too?" Rasiel's competitive nature guided his next words. "I guess that's why you're the prince."

Bel couldn't let this challenge go – just like they had all those times as children, he would try and beat Rasiel in_ something, _not wanting his record to stay at zero wins and uncountable losses now that he could finally try and even the score.

"Ushishishi, you're on, Siel." _Finally. Things are going back to the way they were._

_**~~Fran~~**_

Fran had felt a lot of things as he had stormed out of Bel's house and made his way over to Tsuna's, but the most prominent thing of all was the _hatred _he felt towards Rasiel, irate beyond belief at the older twin for doing this to him and Bel. It wasn't _fair. _

When he had shown up on Tsuna's doorstep, his bag hanging off his shoulder as his usually blank face burnt with emotion, the brunet was worried, knowing something had happened – but no matter how hard Tsuna had tried, the older teenager just would not talk to him about _anything. _

Fran didn't know how long he just sat in the corner of Tsuna's room, glaring hatefully at anything and everything, before a text came through on his phone.

_If that's stupid-senpai, I'll… _Fran cut his train of thought off as he opened Yamamoto's message, only to continue on with it in a far-fouler mood than before, _…I'll _kill _him, and Rasiel, too – no, I'll kill Rasiel first and make idiot-senpai suffer knowing his brother really _is _dead this time… _

Throwing his phone at Tsuna who was just now walking back into his room, Fran sulked even more in his corner, knowing he was angry at the wrong people – angry at himself for allowing Rasiel to affect him so badly, and at Bel for not understanding his feelings properly.

It was only fair that Bel should be happy and excited to spend time with the brother he had spent the majority of his life thinking was dead, and Fran had no right to dictate how the younger twin should feel or how he should react.

Tsuna didn't speak as he picked Fran's phone up, seeing the screen was open with a text from Yamamoto. So something was going on between Bel and Fran? No wonder the older teenager was curled up in his corner – the teal-haired boy loved Bel more than anything.


	7. Chapter 7

Bel was worried when Fran didn't come back home for dinner, but it was also mixed with annoyance towards the frog for making _him _cook dinner – he never cooked because he was lazy, always leaving it up to Fran to feed him.

"Do you think Froggy's okay?" Bel asked as he stirred the pot of ramen slowly.

"I'm sure he's fine." Rasiel sat at the dining table, carefully scrutinising his nails as he searched for the slightest imperfection.

Bel wasn't so convinced; the boy hadn't returned any of his calls or texts, and Yamamoto had told him he had the same such luck.

Shaking his head to try and rid himself of the worry, the younger twin concentrated on what he was doing.

Rasiel was occupying himself with thoughts about both his brother and Fran, finding it harder and harder to keep himself composed when the teal-haired teenager entered their conversations every five minutes.

_It's like Bel's obsessed with him or something. _Rasiel growled quietly to himself at the possibility. _He should be obsessed with _me. _I'm his _brother – _not _that _useless little mongrel. I hope it's lying in a ditch somewhere dead. Then Bel can forget the ugly thing ever existed and move on with me. I don't know how someone as beautiful as my brother could love such a hideous creature. _

Rasiel's thoughts were interrupted not long later by a bowl of ramen that had been placed down in front of him. He smiled gratefully at the second-born, picking up the chopsticks that had been waiting with him.

"This looks good, Bel," Rasiel complimented. "It smells good, too."

Bel returned the smile as he sat down beside the older twin. "I've never actually cooked before so I hope it's okay."

"You don't cook?" Rasiel repeated.

"Nope~ Froggy does all my cooking for me when he stays with me. If he's not here, I go out to eat instead."

"Fit for a prince," Rasiel agreed.

The older twin started eating, appreciating his brother's effort to cook for them despite the fact he had eaten better ramen elsewhere. He noticed that Bel had laid out a third bowl beside him, and said twin was looking around with a frown on his face as if expecting someone to appear any second.

Rasiel put his chopsticks down and lifted a hand to his head as a sudden migraine assaulted him. He whimpered as snippets of conversation he couldn't remember ever having flew by in his mind, accompanied by images of he and Bel – looking no older than six – sat at a table by themselves, looking around as if waiting for someone.

_"They're not here, Siel"… the young_ _Bel pouted._

"Siel?" the present twin asked in concern, reaching out to put his hands on his brother's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

_"Just eat, little brother," Rasiel soothed as he hugged the younger blond. "Your food will go cold if you wait for _them _to show up." _

"Siel? What's wrong?"

_"But… T-they never spend time with us…" _

Rasiel panted as the migraine slowly eased, trying to understand what had just happened. "I… I remembered something…"

Bel's worried frown soon morphed into a smile, eager to hear what the older male had recalled. "What was it?"

"…I… We were sitting alone at the dinner table," Rasiel explained. "…You were sad because…" He drifted off, trying to think of who 'they' could be.

"…Because our parents had ignored us once again…" Bel finished off, understanding what his brother had been remembering. "Yeah; they never spent time with us."

"I'm kind of glad I don't remember them," Rasiel said softly, picking up his chopsticks once more. His migraine was now nothing more than a dull ache – nothing he couldn't handle.

The two talked every now and then as they ate, both locked in their own thoughts.

_I really wish Froggy would stop being mad at me and come home… _Bel sighed to himself, knowing he had messed up – but how he had, he wasn't sure. _I'm sorry, Froggy…_

**_~~Tsuna's home~~_**

Tsuna's mother, Nana, had only been too happy to let Fran stay for dinner and, when they had all eaten and decided it was time for bed, the young teenager found himself wondering if he should at least let Bel know he wouldn't be coming home tonight.

_No, _Fran decided, _he can spend the night worrying for all I care. Besides – he probably won't even remember I was meant to be staying with him until Mukuro comes back. _

"Fran?"

The addressed male looked up at Tsuna's voice. "Yeah?"

"Do you have pyjamas?" the brunet asked. He smiled when his friend shook his head. "I have some you can borrow."

"Thanks…" Fran mumbled, still rather upset about the whole Rasiel situation. He watched as Tsuna dug through his wardrobe, resurfacing with an extra pair of pyjamas for his friend.

Tsuna passed them to the older male, already dressed, and then made his way over to his bed, knowing Fran didn't care much for privacy when he was getting dressed – there were only too many times the teal-haired boy had started undressing in a crowded room full of Tsuna's friends, revealing his naked body to them all.

The brunet could see his friend's reflection in the mirror that was sitting across the room but, before he could turn away in embarrassment, he caught sight of all the bruises that adorned the elder's body. Concerned at these marks, Tsuna spoke.

"Why have you got all those bruises?" Tsuna pushed himself into a sitting position, taking a better look at the scrawny body before him. Fran had purple bruises around his hips, grip marks on his arms, and his body was adorned with tiny little bruises that looked similar to the ones Fran always seemed to have on his neck.

"Huh?" Fran looked down at his body, his expression blank. "They're from Bel. Why?"

"Is Bel hurting you?" Tsuna was horrified by the idea of his good friend being abused, but his worry soon vanished when a faint smile slipped onto Fran's face, a sure sign he was amused.

"They're from when we have sex," Fran explained bluntly. "He's rough."

"…But… W_what about the smaller ones?" Tsuna frowned as he tilted his head, not sure what to think.

"They're hickies, Tsuna," Fran deadpanned. Lifting his leg high enough to show the inside of his thigh, he pointed out all of the marks that rested there as well. "Bel likes biting."

"Does Mukuro-san know about the marks?"

Fran shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. He doesn't ask about the hickies on my neck, though, so I don't know if he knows how aggressive Bel is when we do it."

Tsuna blushed slightly, curious about what it was like to have sex. Inching closer to the edge of his bed, the brunet whispered, "Does it hurt to… t-to do _that _with Bel…?"

Fran shook his head. "Sort of. Only for a few minutes. Bel knows how to make it good for me, so he does that as soon as he can."

"What about your first time?"

"That time hurt, but Bel was careful with me. He made sure he was gentle so I didn't tear."

"How old were you?"

"I had just turned fifteen. We dated for a few days before Bel kind of rushed me into it."

"Rushed you?" Tsuna frowned.

"We hadn't kissed or anything, and Bel was getting impatient. I had told him I wasn't ready for sex, but he didn't seem to understand."

Tsuna was nervous to hear this kind of information from Fran – had his first time been _rape _if he hadn't been ready for sex…? "…D-did he…?"

Fran knew what the younger was thinking, and he shook his head. "Bel wanted _some _sort of sexual contact with me, but I didn't really know what to do. So I told him we could masturbate together. Bel put on one of his porn DVDs and we sat on his bed touching ourselves to it. Apparently, I had chosen the wrong alternative to sex because it only made him hornier and he talked me into having sex."

"Was it enjoyable?"

Fran nodded. "It was. It was better than when I would masturbate."

Tsuna's face was beet red at the information his friend had given him – he knew Fran was blunt, straight to the point, and wasn't easily embarrassed, but knowing such details about the older male's personal life was strange considering Fran was a very quiet, personal boy who didn't open up to many people.

But, with all the information he had been given, Tsuna could tell just how much Fran loved Bel if he could give himself to the older man, despite not being ready. So why were they fighting? Why was Fran standing – still half-naked – in the middle of his room, telling him about his intimacy with Bel?

"So what… _happened _between you two…?" Tsuna asked, not sure if he would get an answer or not. "I mean… you're _here, _instead of being with Bel…"

"Bel's being an idiot-senpai," Fran muttered, dropping his eyes to the ground. "His brother is back in his life, and now it feels as if I don't matter anymore to him…"

"Why do you feel like that?" Tsuna asked softly, ready to try and help his friend if that is what Fran needed.

"…He's spending time with Rasiel and not me… But it's confusing because it's like he wants me to be part of the conversation between them, but he's ready to dump me off at a friend's house so he can go out to lunch with Rasiel…"

"Maybe Bel is just happy to be with his brother," Tsuna pointed out. "Perhaps he doesn't know how to include you in what they do together, so all he can do to make sure you're not left out is invite you into their conversations. Maybe he doesn't mean to make you feel like that – he's just so excited, he can't see how he's making you feel. I think you need to talk to him."

Fran sighed. "…I… I don't like his brother…"

"That might be what you two need to talk about," Tsuna soothed. "Maybe Bel doesn't see this and is trying to share his happiness with you, though he doesn't realise it's only hurting you."

Fran closed his eyes as he breathed softly. He knew Tsuna was right, but… "…Okay… I'll talk to him tomorrow…"

Tsuna smiled shyly as he watched Fran curl up on the futon by the bed. He quickly stood up and moved to the light switch, bathing the room in darkness.

As the brunet made his way back over to his bed, he whispered, "Goodnight, Fran."

"Night…" Fran mumbled, already half asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

When Bel awoke the next morning, it was to his phone ringing.

Picking the vibrating device off his nightstand, he sleepily hit the answer the button, putting it to his ear. "Hello…?"

Mukuro was on the other line, and he seemed concerned about something. "Fran's school rang. Why isn't he at school?"

Bel blinked behind blond bangs, trying to register what had been said. "…Huh…?"

"Fran is not at school," Mukuro repeated slowly. "Is he unwell?"

If the blond were more awake, he would know it was a bad idea to admit that Fran hadn't come home last night. However, he was still half asleep and barely aware of what was being said to him. "I don't know… where he is…"

Mukuro was silent for a second before he hissed a dangerous, "What."

"Not home…" Bel mumbled, curling back up in his bed.

"What the hell do you mean, Belphegor." There were very few times when Mukuro sounded as if he were going to murder someone. This, sadly, was one of those times. "Get your ass out of bed and _look _for him."

Bel just yawned. "Whatever…"

"I mean it, Bel." There was a mumbling over the other end of the line before Mukuro spoke to his friend again. "Chrome and I are on our way back now, and if anything's happened to him…"

Bel waved a hand dismissively, despite the fact that there was no one there to see it. "He'll be fine." Yawning, Bel forced himself into a sitting position before swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "I'll find him."

"You'd better," Mukuro growled before hanging up.

Bel rubbed his eyes before he threw his phone onto the bed, still too tired to comprehend what he was doing. He glanced at his alarm clock before he realised that what he believed was morning was actually late afternoon, almost time for Fran's school to finish.

Bel's blurry eyes focused on the clothing he picked up from the ground, dressing himself in them. He then grabbed the brush that was sitting on the dresser in the corner, running it through his hair a few times before throwing it carelessly back where it was.

Rasiel, who was sitting on the couch reading a book, smirked as the younger twin finally made an appearance.

"My, my, sleeping beauty finally has finally arisen," the older twin teased.

"Shut up…" Bel mumbled, staggering into the kitchen. "Too early…"

"Ushesheshe…" Rasiel turned back to his book, hearing Bel bang around in the kitchen. "Are you going somewhere, little brother?"

"Gotta find Fran…" Bel mumbled, coming to stand by his brother's side with a glass of strawberry milk. "Mukuro's on the prince's damn case…"

Rasiel laughed again before he nodded. "Alright. I'll stay here."

Bel nodded, taking one last gulp of his flavoured milk before putting it down on the coffee table. He picked his keys up from the same table, yawning as he made his way to the entrance hall.

_Damnit, Froggy… _Bel thought groggily as he closed the door behind him and walked towards his car. _Always getting the prince in trouble with the fucking pineapple… You're lucky the prince loves you. _

_**~~Fran~~**_

Fran had no idea where he was heading; all he knew was that after saying goodbye to Tsuna and the others at Namimori Middle, he had started walking towards his own school before deciding he just wasn't in the mood to go. He knew the school would call Mukuro who, in turn, would call Bel, but he couldn't find himself to be bothered.

All Fran wanted was to try and get the courage to face Bel once more.

Hours seemed to pass by like seconds as Fran aimlessly wandered the streets, his school bag slung over one shoulder as his tie and jacket blew behind him in the wind. He stared down at his boots as he kicked at loose stones, not caring for anything but Bel.

The boy's phone never seemed to stop ringing from within his pocket, but even as he noticed Mukuro's name come up on the screen, he didn't answer it; he didn't want to explain everything to his father-figure until he himself had worked things out with Bel.

_I don't even know if it's worth talking to him… _Fran thought to himself as he crossed the deserted street. _He seems too happy to realise my feelings towards Rasiel… _

_But what if Bel does understand and I ruin things between them…? That would be so selfish of me… What's the right thing to do? _

Fran didn't have a chance to think for much longer as Bel's black BMW pulled up beside him. Blinking, the boy stayed where he was, not sure what to do; should he get in the car and explain everything to Bel? Or should he run so he had more time to think?

Bel seemed patient as he waited for Fran to get into the car – something he usually never was. Fran could only take this as a sign that he had stressed everyone enough and got into the car.

It was silent between the two of them as Bel hit the indicator and pulled back onto the road, focused intently on his driving.

It was Fran who broke the silence. "You should really cut your bangs, senpai; you might see the road a bit better than."

Bel snorted as a grin crossed his face, glad that his lover seemed to be well enough to be his usual smartass self.

"So," the blond started, "…want to talk about it…?"

"I don't like Rasiel." Fran had been blunt and straight to the point, just as expected, but his tone seemed softer than it would otherwise, almost as if he were afraid of offending the older man.

"Guess I didn't notice…" Bel sighed. "The prince… I am sorry for not realising…"

Fran didn't reply to this, still not happy with the blond's reply. He didn't know what he wanted, but he knew it was more than just those simple words.

Bel understood what Fran was thinking, and he couldn't say he blamed him; he would be upset, too, if he were in Fran's position.

"…If it makes you feel better, Mukuro and Chrome are coming back…" Bel tried. He looked both ways as he stopped his car at the stop sign, waiting for the incoming traffic to pass.

"How's that supposed to make me feel better?" Fran deadpanned. "Are you that sick of me you're sending me back with them?"

Bel knew he had fucked up. He had unintentionally offended his boyfriend's very well-hidden sensitive side – Fran had abandonment issues, most likely from having been taken in off the streets by Mukuro because his mother didn't care for him.

"I didn't mean it like that…" Bel tried. "I just…"

"Just stop, senpai," Fran snapped. "You're making things worse. Just keep your big mouth shut. It's like you don't even care anymore. You know what? Just do it. Just go back with Rasiel. I don't care anymore. After all, you were too happy with _him _to notice _my _happiness. I know who matters more to you – not including yourself."

Bel hated when they fought. Fran, though usually a placid, laid-back person, would dig around and bring up what he knew would hurt the most when they had fights. "Fran…"

"Just drop me back at my house," Fran snapped, hugging his school bag tighter to him. "I want to go home."

Bel was silent as he changed lanes, obeying Fran's wishes as much as he himself didn't want to. It was silent for the rest of the ride to Mukuro's apartment, the two speaking only when Bel had parked his car against the curb.

"Not sure when I'll see you next," Fran said bluntly as he undid his seatbelt. "Probably won't be until your brother's gone."

Bel was hurt by these words – a lot. But him being who he was couldn't do farewells very well. His biggest mistake that day was just being himself within that minute.

"Can you suck me off before you go?" was the only thing Bel could manage in his awkwardness. He mentally face-palmed as the words slipped from his mouth, not meaning to come out with something so lewd – but it was too late as Fran had already taken the insult.

Clenching his fist tight, Fran punched Bel in the face as hard as he could before kicked the door open. "Ask your twin," the boy muttered as he got out of the car, not even looking back as he stomped toward the apartment complex.

Bel clutched his face as he tried to process what had happened; for such a scrawny little boy, Fran sure could pack a punch.

_It doesn't matter what I do, _Bel thought to himself as he tried to hold back tears. _I don't know what I'm doing anymore… This… I-I… _

Bel knew it hurt so much because he loved Fran with all his heart, but he was naturally an awkward person when it came to love and relationships. He didn't know how to fix things when he had fucked up – he could only make them worse.

Grabbing his phone to let Mukuro know that Fran was back at the apartment, Bel pulled away from the curb, heading back to his own home.

_**~~Mukuro's apartment~~**_

Fran kept his bag slung over his shoulder as he headed straight for the kitchen, needing his daily glass of milk. He poured himself a glass and sipped at it before he headed to his room.

Opening his door, Fran threw his bag to the side, looking around. As expected of an apartment building, his room was small. His bed was pressed against one wall while his closet resided in the one opposite. A window lay in between the two, the blind down. There was a desk resting against the foot of his bed, a few school utensils sitting neatly on the brown hardwood, and a bookshelf stood beside the door.

Moving to the bookshelf, Fran grabbed the laptop that was sitting on the top shelf. He moved to his bed, his glass of milk still in hand before placing it briefly on the windowsill so he could get comfortable on the soft mattress.

Fran logged into the computer before he opened his IM, hoping one of his friends would be online so he could talk to them about what had happened – as private as he was, he loved Bel and didn't want to let go of their relationship, so he was willing to reach out for help if that was what it took to remain as Bel's one and only lover.

Closing the lid of the laptop in disappointment, Fran slipped it beneath his bed before he curled up on top of the comforter, fighting to hold back his tears. All he could remember was what he had said to Bel, and he understood the man hadn't been deserving of any of it – the blond was merely blinded by joy at knowing his sibling was still alive.

Glancing down at the fist that had struck Bel's face, the dam finally broke. Fran knew Bel wasn't a social person by any means, preferring to be by himself than to socialise. It was hard for his lover, whose sense of normality and social acceptance were warped beyond repair, to know when he had crossed lines and – if he did – to know what he had done wrong.

What Bel had asked of Fran in the car hadn't been out of pure sexual instinct – if anything, it was probably the first thing Bel could blurt out in his attempt to say something. He knew his lover hadn't meant what he had said, and the way Fran had reacted…

Fran had _never _hurt Bel like that before, not even when they had their little fights. It made him want to die, knowing he had lost control of his temper so easily and hurt the one he loved most.

Crying himself to sleep, Fran could only dream of Bel, seeing the look of hurt Bel always seemed to wear whenever Fran lost his temper with him. It hurt him more than anything.

When the teal-haired boy's bedroom door opened an hour later and Mukuro poked his head in, the man could only frown at the tear stains that marred pale skin. He didn't know what had happened, but he knew Fran was hurting if the teenager had cried.

_I hope he tells me what happened so I can try and fix it… _Mukuro stepped into the room, shifting the small body in his arms so that he could pull the comforter over the boy.

Fran moved slightly in Mukuro's arms, his eyes cracking slightly as his sleep was disturbed.

"Shh…" Mukuro gently laid Fran back down, resting the boy's head on the pillow. He brushed locks of hair out of teal eyes before smiling softly. "Rest, little one. It's okay."

Fran stared for just a few seconds more before his eyes slipped closed once more, resting peacefully in his bed.

_Whatever Bel did to him, there had better be a good explanation… _Mukuro thought to himself as he closed the door with a soft thud behind him. _I won't let _anyone _make Fran cry. _


	9. Chapter 9

Though Bel had been sad when he arrived back at his house, Rasiel had quickly cheered him up by inviting him to play the video games the older twin had found. They had hooked up Bel's old Nintendo 64 to the TV and were versing each other on Mario Kart, having spent hours on it before the doorbell rang.

Bel cursed in annoyance before pausing the game and getting to his feet. "I'll be back, Siel."

The blond opened the front door, part of him hoping to find Fran standing on his doorstep, ready to try and put what had happened behind him like every other time they fought.

Instead, the blond came face-to-face with an unhappy Mukuro.

"Froggy told you what happened…?" Bel sighed as he stepped back to let his friend into the house.

The younger male shook his head, stepping inside and walking into the living room. The second he noticed Rasiel sitting on the couch, another book open in his lap, he realised what Fran was upset about.

Clearing his throat, Mukuro politely spoke once he had gathered Rasiel's attention, "I need to talk to Bel in private. Please, excuse us."

Grabbing the younger twin by the sleeve, Rokudo pulled Belphegor into the man's bedroom, shoving him down onto the bed before kicking the door closed.

"Why is Rasiel on your couch?" Mukuro questioned, disbelief shining in his eyes. "I thought he was dead."

"So did I…" Bel rubbed the back of his head as he explained how his brother had survived.

The blue-haired man was smart enough to piece together the mystery behind Fran's odd behaviour, and he couldn't say he was happy – Bel had obviously hurt the young boy greatly just by being himself.

"I take it Fran doesn't like Rasiel." Mukuro spoke. Bel nodded, picking at his nails in uneasiness; the taller male was one of the handful of people in his life he was afraid of losing, and if anything happened to their friendship… "And what did you do about that, Bel?"

"…The prince…" the blond fidgeted as he trailed off. "…I fucked up again…"

"Though he hides it, Fran is sensitive – you _know _this. What did you do."

Bel's hands started to shake as he felt a panic attack starting to assault him – just like Fran, he also hid behind facades. He lost his temper easily when it came to people he didn't care for, but being confronted by the people he considered his only friends terrified him – the thought of being alone, of losing everyone, just like how he had lost his brother…

"I-I d-don't know…" the man pulled his knees to his chest, hugging them tight. "I-I…"

Mukuro softened at seeing his friend's distress. He stepped closer, putting a large hand on Bel's shoulder. "Easy, Bel. I just want to know what happened."

Blond hair flew in all directions as Bel shook his head violently. He didn't know how to talk to Mukuro, to explain he truly didn't know what he had done wrong, what had even _happened. _All he knew was that he had fucked up and, in trying to fix things, made it worse than ever.

"Did you hurt Fran physically?" Mukuro's voice was soft, but the thought that Bel may have laid his hands on his sweet Fran…

"N-no… H-he doesn't… like Rasiel…" Bel whispered.

"Is that why he skipped school?" Mukuro probed. He sighed when Bel just shrugged, knowing he was getting nowhere. With the state his friend was getting in, he knew he had to tackle this a different way. "Did he leave the house yesterday because of Rasiel?"

"…I… don't know… I… I-I went out to lunch with Siel… H-he said he'd go to a friend's… I didn't hear from him after that…"

"And what happened to make Fran come back home?"

"…I-I picked him up… I was bringing… him here… We fought…"

"About Rasiel?"

Bel nodded. "…I didn't mean to… I-it just… slipped from my mouth…"

"What did you say?"

"…" Bel lowered his head in shame, despite how unintentional those words had been earlier. "…I didn't know what to say when he told me he probably wouldn't see me again… I panicked, and I blurted the first thing I could out…"

"What was that?"

"…I asked him to suck me off…" Bel whispered with a shaking voice.

Mukuro raised a hand to his face, sighing. He understood it wasn't Bel's fault, but the blond could have handled the situation better. "Look, just… Just give him time. I'll talk to him. But damnit, Bel, you'd better sort out this situation with Rasiel before I let him back near you. I know the kind of person you are. You can't have both of them, and I won't let you hurt Fran by choosing Siel over him. Either break up with Fran, or explain things to him and _work around it._ He's been hurt enough in his life."

"The prince understands…" Bel whispered. "…I just… I don't know who I want…"

Mukuro knelt before Bel, his voice gentle as he explained things to his damaged companion, "I can't tell you who to love, Bel. Only you can decide what to do about this. If you want Rasiel, you can't have Fran as well. It's not fair to him, Siel _or _you. But if you want Fran, you have to be open with him and tell him everything. He feels threatened by your brother's presence, I'm sure of it. Be clear with him, and try to work things out in the meantime."

Bel nodded, leaning his back against the head of his bed. He was silent for a few minutes, trying to wrap his head around everything he had been told.

Mukuro was patient, knowing that while Bel was an incredibly smart person, he didn't understand _people, _or anything to do with them.

"I've got to go, Bel," Mukuro said as he stood up. "It's almost dinnertime and Fran was sleeping when I left. I'll talk to you later."

Bel nodded, his eyes on his lap. He whispered his farewells, hearing Mukuro's footsteps exit the room.

The blond remained where he was for a while longer before Rasiel came in to check on him. He noticed that Bel was upset, so sitting on the bed beside the younger, he wrapped his arms around his twin, holding him close.

"It's okay, little brother," Siel whispered as he ran a hand through his brother's hair. "You can talk to the prince. He'll listen."

Bel just rested his head on the first-born's shoulder, sighing to himself. He didn't know how he was going to explain all this to Rasiel – and maybe it was better for him to keep it to himself for now.

_**~~Fran~~**_

When Fran's eyes opened later that day, he could make out the bright numbers of his alarm clock flashing from his bookshelf. He noticed that it was dinnertime, but the darkness of the room made it feel so much later.

Climbing out of bed, the teal-haired boy pulled himself into the kitchen, sluggish from everything that had happened.

Mukuro was just serving the miso soup as the boy clambered down noisily at the dining table, yawning.

"Good to see you again, little one," Mukuro said as he placed a bowl down in front of Fran. "I do apologise for us being away for so long."

"It's okay, Master Pineapple," Fran said quietly. He picked up his spoon and stirred the soup, not particularly hungry. "It wasn't your fault."

Mukuro ignored the boy's comment about pineapples, knowing Fran had had enough shit going on in the last few days. "I spoke to Bel today."

"Hmm. Did he tell you what he asked of me?" Fran didn't know why that one little comment had gotten to him the most – it was a daily occurrence for Bel to ask him for sex or even blowjobs in the most crude manner possible. Why was that one time so different?

"He did," Mukuro nodded. "I'm not happy about it myself, but I don't think he meant it. He seemed very overwhelmed when I saw him."

"Still mad at him…" Fran mumbled before he lifted his spoon to his lips. "It made me feel like I was just an object to him – like he only wanted me for sex…"

"I know that's not the case, little one," Mukuro soothed. "If that was what Bel wanted from you, I wouldn't have let you date him."

Fran didn't speak, his attention trained on his dinner. He was feeling rather depressed at the moment, and he knew it had to do with Bel.

"You should give him time," Mukuro advised, knowing that Fran wasn't going to talk any longer without a prompt. "He's confused about Rasiel. He doesn't know what he wants."

"We both know he'll go back to _him…_" Fran said bitterly, feeling hot tears brim at his eyes at the thought of Bel leaving him for his _twin. _It was _so wrong…! _

"I'm not so sure," Mukuro whispered. "Bel loves Rasiel, of course – they're twins – but for all that time he spent thinking Siel was dead, he came to love _you, _Fran. Maybe he loves his brother, and maybe when they were little, they had a sexual relationship, but I doubt they even knew what romantic love was like. I wonder if Bel merely thought the things they did together felt good and it confused him – he didn't have anyone but Siel and myself before he met you, Fran. He was all alone."

Fran just nodded, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. "…What should I do…?"

"It's up to you, little one. Just like I told Bel today, you both need to do what you think is right and _best _for you both. Give it some time and think it over. Do you want to stay home from school tomorrow?"

Fran nodded. "I love you… Mukuro…"

"And I love you, too, little one. Finish your dinner and then go have a shower, okay? You can lie in bed and watch movies on your laptop."

Fran nodded, taking another bite of his food. He loved Mukuro, the man being more of a father than he had ever had. He adored the blue-haired male for having taken him in with no questions asked and treating him as his own, making him feel safe and comfortable and even setting up a room just for him.

_If I have to let Bel go… _Fran fought back tears at this thought, _…I don't know what I'll do… I'm just… so happy I'll always have Mukuro here for me… I don't know what I would have done if he didn't take me in off the streets… _


	10. Chapter 10

As Rasiel rested in the room just next to Bel's, he hummed softly. He knew it was late at night, but he just couldn't sleep – thoughts of his brother were swimming through his head.

The older twin was finding harder and harder to fight back his attraction towards Bel, and tonight – unbeknownst to him – was going to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

_I need to tell him… _Rasiel got out of the bed and paced around the room. _I need to… What was that?_

Listening carefully, the blond could make out faint sounds of arousal coming from his brother's room. Was Bel masturbating? Or was he just having a wet dream?

Rasiel's groin twitched in excitement as he moved to the door. He held his hand out as if debating whether or not going out was a good idea, but that part of him he had always known wasn't exactly… _sane _won out.

Pulling the bedroom door open, Rasiel made his way to the younger man's room. He turned the doorknob and pushed the door open silently, not wanting to disturb the other.

Rasiel felt his pants tighten further as he noticed the way his twin was splayed out on his bed, moaning loudly as the bulge in his pants begged to be touched.

_You're so beautiful, prince, _Rasiel thought to himself as he freed his own erection from the confines of his night pants. He wrapped his hand around the length and stroked slowly as he watched Bel's hips buck into the air, searching desperately for friction.

"S-siel…!"

The observer's eyes widened as his name slipped from his twin's lips – he had honestly expected the frog's name to be the one called. Had he been right all along in his suspicions that there was more than brotherly love between them?

Rasiel knew it was a bad idea to crawl onto the bed and sit beside his brother, his own erect member mere inches from Bel's face. He stifled a moan as he pumped himself slowly, obscured eyes drinking in every little detail of his twin.

Bel's eyes were scrunched shut tightly, loud moans and cries escaping pale red lips. His right hand clutched desperately at the bed sheets beneath him as his left groped blindly for his length.

The calloused skin of Bel's palm rubbed against his clothed groin, the arousal fighting to break free. Rasiel couldn't help but reach out and unbutton his twin's sleeping pants, licking his lips as he watched Bel's hand wrap around his straining length.

_Bel… _Rasiel fought to keep all of his sounds in his mind, not wanting to risk waking the younger. _Bel… fuck… You're so sexy like this, little brother… _

Rasiel should probably have known better, but he couldn't help but place the head of his own shaft against Bel's lips. He bit back a moan as those petite things opened slightly, wrapping around the very tip.

_I want you to suck me, little brother… _Rasiel grinned to himself as he pressed his hips further, wrapping his hand around his base instead. _Let's see how well you can do when you're asleep._

Bel's sleep didn't seem disturbed in the least; he instead opened his mouth wider to accommodate the object that seemed to get bigger with each centimetre.

_So beautiful… _Rasiel swept his brother's bangs away, revealing eyes he somehow knew were identical to his own sky blue ones. _I wonder how many people have seen your eyes… _

Bel let out a muffled cry around the older twin's shaft as he hit his own orgasm. Rasiel, whose eyes widened at the gorgeous sound, released deep into his brother's throat, unable to stop the whimpers that came from his own throat as he did so.

Bel choked, his eyes opening as he struggled to sit up. He raised a shaky hand to his throat and held it as he struggled to cough out whatever had invaded his mouth during his sleep. He shuddered as arms wrapped around his shoulders, patting his back, and for the briefest second, he thought it was Fran.

Once the second-born could breathe again and had calmed down, he noticed his sticky hand and pants, and seeing his brother sitting beside him with his flaccid member lying proudly against his own fabric, he understood – and he couldn't help but feel relieved that, after all these years, his brother still loved him.

"Siel…" Bel rested his forehead against Rasiel's shoulder as he felt his groin twitching once more. "…Siel, I love you…"

Rasiel whispered, running a seductive hand against Bel's hip, "Then let the king fuck you, little brother."

Bel nodded, lying back on his bed, unable to say no – he had spent so many years of his life trying to recall what it was like to have his brother's hand on his body in places no one else dared to touch him, and now that the real thing was finally back, those long, lonely nights of masturbation didn't need to happen anymore.

Rasiel climbed on top of the younger male and positioned himself against Bel's entrance, a part of him telling him that Bel liked it when it was rough and painful. He didn't know how he knew this, but as he forced himself into an unprepared body and drew long, loud moans of pleasure from his twin, he understood he was right.

Bel had no time to speak as he was taken roughly, just like he loved. The pain of being fucked without preparation or even lube _hurt _– but that was why he liked it so much. He didn't know why, but he loved knowing his blood was being spilt, his body being treated like a used whore. It was all so arousing for the young man.

"R-rasiel!" Bel whimpered as his body was pounded into relentlessly. He wrapped his arms around Rasiel's neck and dug his nails into soft flesh – he couldn't convey how happy he was that his brother apparently didn't sleep with a shirt on. "S-siel! M-more!"

Rasiel didn't need to be told twice; thrusting as hard as he could into his brother, he grunted as he felt his climax approaching.

Leaning down, the first-born bit savagely into Bel's neck, drawing streams of blood, before he attacked another spot that drew delicious screams of pleasure from his partner – his actions were just like what Bel would do to Fran, and this knowledge made Bel more vocal than he had ever been when he was with Fran.

It was true Bel was as rough as he could be without breaking Fran's frail body, and the fact that he was being treated just like the frog was what made him come – if Fran felt anything like what Bel was feeling now, it was no wonder the boy's hormones always seemed to be on the fritz.

"S-siel!" Bel screamed as he spurted his seed onto his chest, droplets hitting his stomach and rolling onto the mattress beneath him.

Rasiel let out a whimper as Bel's walls tightened around him, and he emptied himself inside of his twin – never before had sex felt as good – as _right _– as this session did.

Bel, whose only partners in sex had been Rasiel and Fran, had never been worked over so good in one go like this – it was so different from when he slept with Fran, so much _better _than Fran. Fran had never been able to tire him out like this, make him feel so great – maybe that was because the teal-haired boy had never topped him, Bel didn't know – but as his eyes slipped closed and snuggled in close to his twin who was now pulling the younger into his arms, the second-born couldn't help but think that when it came to sex, he'd rather Rasiel any day.

Unbeknownst to the twins who were now preparing themselves for sleep, the bedroom door had been opened just a crack halfway during their session, teal-eyes watching with a betrayed, horrified expression before running from the house.

_**~~An hour earlier~~**_

Fran hadn't been surprised when Mukuro knocked on his bedroom door at twelve; the blue-haired man had always been a night-owl.

"Fran, I'm heading off to bed now," Mukuro said softly, noticing the boy was sitting up in his bed with his laptop in his lap, earphones plugged in to the device.

Fran took one side of the earphones from his head as he nodded, his voice soft as he spoke. "I saw earlier there's a magic show coming to town tomorrow night. We can go, right?"

Heterochromatic eyes lit up with excitement as he nodded without hesitation. "Of course we can. Try and get some sleep, little one. It'll be harder if you're tired."

"Goodnight," Fran said quietly.

"Goodnight, Fran." Mukuro closed the door behind him as he left the room, leaving the boy to himself.

Teal eyes trained back onto the anime he was watching before his thoughts trailed back to Bel. _I really need to apologise for punching him… I feel so horrible, and I'm not going to get any sleep tonight… _

Glancing at the clock across the room, Fran estimated it would be close to twelve by the time he got to Bel's house if he dressed himself and left now.

_Should I go…? What if he's asleep…? He's never been bothered by me coming over at later hours before… _

Deciding he needed to see the blond before he'd be able to sleep properly again, Fran closed the lid of his laptop and slipped it beneath his bed. He grabbed his school uniform he had left on the end of his bed after undressing for his shower before he changed out of his warm pyjamas patterned with frogs.

_I hope Rasiel's not there… _Fran frowned at the thought as he slipped his red shirt back on. _If he is, he can stay the hell away from me… _

It only took a minute for Fran to have dressed himself and, after grabbing the spare key to Bel's house he had in his school bag, he headed to his bedroom door. He was glad it didn't squeak as he opened it just enough to slip out, leaving it open just a crack so the click of the lock didn't alert Mukuro to his presence.

As quiet as he could be, Fran made it to the front door of the apartment within just a few minutes. He thanked the Gods when the front door closed without a sound, and he then begun the forty minute walk that would take him to Bel's home.

_**~~Bel's house~~**_

Fran had unlocked the front door and stepped into Bel's house and, as he looked around, he didn't see Rasiel anywhere, despite the man's car being parked against the curb.

_He had better not be in _my _old room… _Fran's hands clenched at the thought of the twin he _resented _sleeping in the bed Bel had bought just for him when he was still a little boy.

Walking further into the house, Fran couldn't hear anything, until –

"A-ahh!"

Fran jumped as a scream flew through the air. His first thought was someone was murdering Bel, but when a pleasured moan accompanied the scream, his stomach clenched as he realised what was happening.

_Bel has never screamed for me… _Fran fought back tears as he walked slowly to Bel's bedroom, not knowing why he was subjecting himself to this torment instead of just leaving the house.

Pushing the door ajar just enough to peer through, Fran felt as if his heart had been ripped from his chest as he noticed the way Rasiel drew sounds from Bel the teenager didn't even know _his _lover could make.

_I guess that's it, then… _Fran covered his eyes with his arm as tears overflowered. _Bel's happer with Rasiel than me in _everything…

_Sorry, senpai… I'm sorry I couldn't make you as happy as I thought I was… Guess I couldn't even make you feel good when we have sex… I'm sorry I'm not Rasiel, though I'd give anything to be as good as _him _if that's what it would take for you to love me again… _

Closing the door to Bel's house quietly behind him, Fran knelt on the doorstep, pulling at his teal strands as he _cried. _

_If you'd even cheat on me with _him, _I guess our relationship's over… senpai… _


	11. Chapter 11

When the door to his bedroom was thrown open and a green blur launched itself at him, Mukuro knew something was wrong – Fran rarely showed his distress, and if the boy was crying, something was really,_ really _wrong.

Sitting up in his bed, the blue-haired male wrapped his around the teenager, pulling Fran onto his lap. "What's wrong?" Reaching over, Mukuro switched the lamp on, taking a better look at the boy.

_He must have snuck out of the apartment... _Heterochromatic eyes took in the dishevelled uniform Fran hadn't been wearing when they had said goodnight, knowing there was no other reason for his charge to have put it back on. _But why...?_

"B-bel..." Fran could only gasp the blond's name, hoping Mukuro would understand what he was trying to say.

_What did Bel do now...? _Mukuro wrapped his arms tighter around the teal-haired boy, worried that something irreparable had happened. "Did he hurt you?"

Choked by tears, the teenager could only nod. _Yeah, he... Mukuro... Hurts so much... Help..._

Mukuro growled._ I swear, if he... _"Where?"

Fran raised a shaking hand to his chest, hoping that the older male could interpret what he was trying to convey. _ Mukuro... Make it stop... It hurts... Please... understand..._

Grabbing the tiny hand in his, Rokudo held Fran close as he rocked him, trying to soothe the distressed teenager. He understood completely what the teal-eyed boy was trying to tell him, and he was _furious._

"It's okay, little one," Mukuro whispered, trying to alleviate some of the stress. "It's okay. It could have been worse. It could have been worse."

These words did nothing for Fran – not when he felt as if his head was about to explode from the stress. He didn't understand why _he _had to be the one to suffer so much – why _he _had to be the one Bel could never truly love.

"Mu...ku...ro..." Fran couldn't remember the last time he had cried so hard. Maybe it was back when he ran away from his mother, not wanting to live in such a cold environment any longer. Perhaps it was even when he finally realised that, despite having lived with his only his mother for the first nine years of his life, he just wasn't good enough for her to want to love.

Was that all he was? Someone to hate? Someone to get sick of and abandon? How could he not have seen this coming? Was it only a matter of time before Mukuro, too, would leave him all alone?

Fighting back tears, Fran whispered, "D-don't... l-leave me..."

"I'm not," Mukuro whispered. "I promise. Just let me talk to Bel. I'll sort this out for you."

Fran nodded, burying his face into the warm chest before him. He sobbed, slowly calming, soothed by the gentle aura he always seemed to find around the older male.

The teal-haired boy stayed still as he was jostled by the lanky male shifting to reach out for his phone on the bedside table. He listened as nimble fingers unlocked the mobile, hearing the familiar scrolling noise as Rokudo searched through his contacts.

_I don't want to listen to this fight... _Fran flinched instinctively at the thought of Mukuro fighting with the blond, instinctual responses that had been honed after living in such an abusive environment previously. _Mukuro's scary when he's angry..._

The blue-haired male clicked on his best friend's contact number, putting the phone to his ear as he waited for it to be answered. He glanced absentmindedly at the alarm clock beside him, noticing that the time was three in the morning.

_What the hell was Fran doing out so late? _Worried eyes glanced down at the boy he had taken in all those years ago, unable to comprehend just what had happened; all he knew was that Fran was hurting and, as his legal guardian, he wasn't going to stand by and watch.

It was no surprise to find that the recipient of his call ignored it, acknowledging that he should have known better than to call so late; Bel wouldn't get out of bed in the afternoon – there was no way he was going to wake up and answer a call in the middle of the night.

With a sigh, Mukuro ran a large hand through soft teal hair, lying back down on his back. He pulled Fran beside him, knowing the younger wouldn't want to be alone – if Fran wanted comfort, he'd have to be the one to give it.

"Go back to sleep, little one," Mukuro whispered, forcing himself to stay awake and make sure nothing further happened to _his _Fran.

The boy just nodded as he pressed closer to the scrawny male, wanting more of the comforting aura that was radiating brightly. Closing his eyes, Fran forced himself to fall asleep, hoping for some sort of relief – he had never felt so betrayed, so _used _in his life before. The acknowledgement that his own _mother _hadn't cared for his disappearance was _nothing _to what he was feeling now.

Soft sobs escaped pale lips, soon replaced by hiccups as Fran drifted into restless sleep, thoughts still running through his mind until he hit the edge of oblivion. _I hate you, Bel... I hate you so much... _

Mukuro, who had remained awake for the remaining hours of the night, listened to the night terrors his charge experienced, and they broke his heart. He knew Fran had loved Bel, and he couldn't help but blame himself for allowing their relationship to progress to what it had. If he had known Rasiel would be back in the picture, he would never have said yes to his friend's wishes.

He had failed – both as a parent-figure _and _as Fran's best friend – and he _knew _there was no resolve for _this. _

**A/N There are a few chapters remaining for this fic. Also, as a warning, either the next chapter, or the one after it, will be very dark. I'll put a warning on top of the chapter. It's crucial to plot but if you wish to skip it, PM me and I can summarise the chapter for you instead. **


	12. Chapter 12

When Fran woke up the next morning, he was more surprised to find that he was late for school than he was to notice that Mukuro had left the bed.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Fran sat up and swung his legs over the bed as he stood up, exiting Mukuro's bedroom.

The teal-haired boy found Mukuro sitting at the dining table, eating his breakfast slowly as he played around with his mobile. The older male looked up at his charge's entrance and smiled, gesturing to a pot sitting on the stove.

"Good morning, Fran. There's some porridge left over if you'd like some."

Fran nodded, heading to the cupboards first so that he could get a bowl. He couldn't say he was used to the blue-haired male cooking – before Chrome moved out to live on her own, she had done most of the chores around the house.

Mukuro watched the boy's actions carefully, trying to take his mind off things – Bel hadn't been answering any of his calls or texts, and it only made him worry further about what the blond could possibly have done.

_I hope he's feeling better now that he's slept… _Mukuro slipped his phone back into his pocket as Fran sat beside him with his bowl of porridge. "Are you still up for the magic show tonight, little one?"

The teal-haired boy nodded, lifting his spoon to his lips silently. Mukuro reached out to ruffle the boy's soft hair as he smiled, glad Fran was still enjoying things – he was worried that whatever had happened may bring the teenager into a depression.

"I'll give you some money to buy the tickets later, okay?" Mukuro smiled. He faltered slightly when Fran just nodded again, worried about why the younger was being quieter than usual; he hoped he wasn't overlooking things and Fran was feeling worse than he realised. "Do you want to go to school today?"

Again, Fran just nodded, provoking his carer into a frown.

_Please don't tell me he _is _feeling depressed… If he is, and it's because of Bel… _"Do you want to talk about last night, little one?"

"Bel was fucked in the ass by Rasiel." Fran shrugged his shoulders, his voice emotionless. "What is there to talk about?"

Heterochromatic eyes narrowed at these words, finally understanding what had happened – for Fran to have used profanities, he had been hurt beyond belief at Bel's betrayal.

Standing up, Mukuro placed a hand on the boy's shoulder before pulling him into a one-armed hug. He knew there was only one thing to do here – Fran needed to break up with Bel.

"Call off the relationship, Fran," Mukuro said softly.

"I am." Fran, again, seemed emotionless, but Mukuro knew it was the younger's way of hiding how he truly felt – inside, he knew Fran would be a wreck. "I hate him. I _hate _him."

_He's really torn up about this – but I can't blame him. _Mukuro pulled his phone from his pocket once again, ready to unlock it within seconds. "Do you want me to text him and tell him?"

Fran shook his head. "I'll tell him myself. His house is on the way to buy tickets."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Mukuro's stomach clenched uneasily at the thought of his sweet Fran being confronted by an irate Bel – he knew the blond, despite how much he loved Fran, would refuse to let go of the relationship and could possibly even turn violent.

Fran shook his head, turning his attention back onto his porridge.

_I don't think Fran realises what could go wrong… _"Fran, will you please let me come with you?" _I understand it's good he wants to do it himself, but… _

Mukuro was answered with another shake of the head, and as much as he wanted the younger to say yes and let him come, he knew he couldn't force Fran – not when the boy was almost an adult and old enough to make his own decisions.

"Just… Be careful, okay?" Mukuro hugged Fran tightly for a brief second before he let go and left the room, returning a few seconds later with his wallet. "Here's some money for the tickets. Will this cover it?"

Mukuro knew he should have expected Fran to count the notes in silence before nodding as he pocketed the money, but it still hurt to know there was nothing he could do to ease Fran's suffering – though he had never loved someone enough romantically to _fathom _what his charge was feeling, he could imagine it must hurt a lot.

Mukuro sat back at the table, sighing as he rested his chin in one hand and observed the younger with heterochromatic eyes. He wished he could help, but he didn't know _how. _Perhaps he'd need to send him off to Chrome's for a few days – the shy girl was much more apt at romantic relationships than her brother.

Minutes later, once Fran had finished his breakfast and washed the bowl in the sink, he left without a word to go to his room and pack his schoolbag.

Mukuro, who had relocated out to the living room, wouldn't have even noticed that Fran had left for school if he had stayed in the kitchen – just like during breakfast, the boy didn't even say goodbye, instead heading for the front door.

_He's in a lot of pain, _Mukuro understood. _I just don't know how to help him. I do know that when I get my hands on Bel, I'm going to kill him. _

_Have a good day at school, little one… I hope you don't think too much on it. _

_**~~Fran ~~**_

Fran stared out of the window he was sitting next to, not paying any attention to his maths class. He was sitting by himself as he usually did and, though he had always been the quiet student in all of his classes, he was also the one who did the most work – it worried his teacher greatly to see that not only was Fran rejecting any and all social contact, he wasn't working, either. Had something happened in his home?

Even when the bell rang, Fran stayed where he was, waiting for everyone else to leave the room first before he even started packing up. The teacher, an Italian man named Dino, waited until they were alone together before he cleared his throat, trying to gather his student's attention.

"Fran?" the blond male called. He noticed the way Fran cocked his head slightly in his direction, speaking again. "Are you okay, Fran? You seem down?"

Fran just nodded before he slung his school bag over his shoulder, getting ready to leave. He frowned when his teacher stopped him, but he understood the kind-hearted male was just worried – surely it couldn't hurt to listen to what he has to say and then explain that he was fine?

"You're always so quiet in all of your classes, I know this from your other teachers," Dino started, "but I also know you're a very smart, hard-working student, and I've never known you to stop paying attention before. Is everything okay at home?"

Fran nodded again, not ready to talk about what had happened – though his teachers knew he was gay and that he had a boyfriend, none of them knew said boyfriend was a twenty-six year old man. If they knew this, surely they would have asked about his boyfriend instead of home.

"What about with your friends?" Dino persisted, his blue eyes shining with concern. "You're friends with Tsuna and the others, aren't you?"

_How many times must I nod before he lets me go…? _Fran repeated the same movement with his head he had been doing all day.

"Do you have friends in this school? I never see you with anyone."

Fran shook his head, thinking the fact that he preferred to be by himself should be obvious with the way he distances himself from everyone in his classes.

"What about… with your boyfriend?" Dino's voice took on a tender tone here, almost as if he were afraid of breaking his student. "How are things with him?"

Fran just shrugged, looking at his feet. He didn't want to get into this with his teacher – as loving as Dino was, Fran didn't feel a connection with him like he did Tsuna or Mukuro; talking to people wasn't easy for him, especially about his problems.

The Italian man could tell that _this _was the thing bothering his student – the boyfriend. Had something happened between them…?

As much as Dino wanted his student to open up to him and tell him what was wrong, he knew the younger wouldn't do so. Leaning forward to put large hands on frail shoulders, he said softly, "Would it be okay if I ask one of the school counsellors to come and have a chat with you, Fran?"

Fran shook his head, not wanting anyone else to bother him about his personal life. _Just leave me alone… Please… I want to be _alone…

Dino knew he had kept his student for long enough, and it upset him to have to let him go. "I'm sorry if I have done anything wrong, but please remember that if you ever need someone to talk to, you can come to me, okay?"

Fran nodded as he stepped past the adult and into the school corridor. It was true when Dino had pointed out he didn't have friends within _this _school, and never before had the boy wished as hard as he did right now the friends he _did _have came to this school with him so he had a shoulder to lean on.

The boy knew it was safe to say that he wasn't looking forward to the confrontation with Bel later today.


	13. Chapter 13

**Just a few things before you start reading, please; to begin with, this chapter is quite dark and disturbing though, for my own reasons, I did tone it down further than originally planned. **

**Also, this was quite a frustrating chapter to write and it required a few goes at reading it over to try and perfect it, though I still feel as if some parts of it aren't as good as they can be, particularly the interactions in the second and third parts of the chapter. My good friend who usually betas my work for me has been on a long hiatus because of our upcoming exams so she hasn't been able to work on this for me, but if anyone can think of any suggestions I can do better, I'll definitely keep them in mind for future.**

**Again, as stated in previous chapters, if anyone finds this chapter too distressing I'm more than happy to summarise it in a PM for you as upsetting people is the last thing I want to do.**

When Fran met up with his friends after school to walk home together, he knew they were worried by his lack of interaction – their concerned glances and questions were enough of a giveaway.

"Did something happen, Fran?" Yamamoto wrapped his arm around his friend's shoulders in the same friendly manner he did with everyone, but instead of the bright smile that always accompanied the action, there was a frown. "You're very quiet."

_Stop asking me… _Fran knew the tears he had been fighting back all day would finally fall if people didn't stop questioning him, but he was too scared to speak lest he lose control of the emotions he always kept buried deep inside of him.

Yamamoto wasn't satisfied when all he received in reply was a nod; as dense as he could be, he knew when something was wrong with his friends, and he would do anything he could to help. "If you're not busy tonight, you and Bel should come have dinner at my restaurant. We haven't seen you guys there for a while now."

Fran dropped his head at the mention of Bel and how they always seemed to wind up at Yamamoto's for dinner – it brought back memories he had once treasured but now wanted nothing more than to forget.

Fran choked back a sob before he shook his head, his body tense. He squeezed his eyes shut tight, fighting back the tidal wave of tears that wanted to escape and, without a word, took off running towards Bel's house; he needed to be alone, needed to get himself back under control before he faced Bel – he couldn't run the risk of falling for the blond again, for deciding against calling the relationship off.

"Should we go after him?" Gokudera, as angry as he was at the world, frowned as he watched their friend run from them. He was concerned, having never seen Fran like this before – he hadn't been _okay _per se, but he had been much better before Bel was mentioned.

"I don't think so," Tsuna said, his brown eyes soft with sadness. "I think he wants to be alone."

"I think Bel did something to him," Gokudera pointed out. "He wasn't as bad until Bel was mentioned."

"But then why is he going back there?" Yamamoto asked, feeling as if he had been the reason for Fran's strange behaviour – if he hadn't mentioned Bel, the older boy would probably still be with them.

"I don't know, but we really shouldn't get involved with Bel…" Tsuna bit his lip, not knowing what else to do to help his friend. "He's…"

"Yeah, we know," Gokudera replied. "Bel's nuts. We'd probably be better off talking to Mukuro – just in case he doesn't know anything."

"How far is his apartment from your house, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked.

"About fifteen minutes."

"Let's get moving then," Gokudera said, quickening his pace. "We've still got a while to go before we get there."

The other two nodded, matching the silver-haired teenager's pace, their only thoughts on their friend's wellbeing.

_**~~Mukuro's apartment~~**_

"What the hell did you _think _would happen, you idiot?" Mukuro hissed as he grabbed the TV remote from the coffee table in front of them and threw it at Bel's head. They were standing in the living room, a_ very _heated – though one-sided – argument echoing through the small room. "You show up here and _dare _tell Fran _sorry_ because _he _found _you _cheating? With your own _twin?"_

Bel dodged the remote before taking a step back, not knowing what to say – it was true he had worked out Fran had seen him with Rasiel; the unlocked front door, the open bedroom door, and all the calls and texts from Mukuro could only add up to one thing. But wasn't he doing the right thing here? Wasn't he supposed to apologise Fran because he couldn't control his sexual needs when it came to his brother?

"The prince…" Bel trailed off, his shoulders tense; he really had no reply to this accusation. It made him feel horrible, feeling as if he had failed his young lover and let down Mukuro's hard-earned trust in him to treat the boy well.

"Stop calling yourself that, Bel," Mukuro snarled, not in the mood for his friend's delusions – he was _not _happy for what Bel had done to his Fran. "You are _not _a prince. Don't you remember the psychiatrist telling you it was all in your head when you were little? Having to go along with it all the time… It's _pissing me off."_

Bel didn't know what hurt more; the attack on his royal status – which he truly believed he _was _part of – or the fact that Mukuro was at his throat for trying to do what he thought was the right thing. Why was it so wrong of him to be here? Why was Mukuro treating him so cruelly? Never before had the younger male said such nasty, offensive things to him.

"Isn't the prince… I-I thought I was supposed to say sorry to Fran…?" Bel questioned.

Mukuro shook his head, his tone deadly. "You _fucked up,_ Bel – Fran is ending it because _you _couldn't keep your damn hands to yourself."

Bel felt his head start to pound in confusion – why was Fran breaking up with him? He understood he had done something wrong, but he was here to say sorry… Wasn't that the important thing…? "The prince… doesn't understand…"

"You. Are _not. _A prince."

"S-shut up…" Bel whimpered as he raised his hands to grasp as his blond strands; his head was aching and he really had no idea what was happening anymore – he knew he had done something wrong but his apology wasn't accepted; he couldn't comprehend anything further. "I won't… I won't let Froggy… break up with the prince…"

It was just too much for Bel; the harsh words, the unfair reactions to what he had done – it was all blurring together, and he really wasn't sure what Mukuro was mad at him for anymore, not even what he was trying to apologise for any longer.

"Belphegor!" Mukuro snapped, wishing he had something heavy to throw at the other – the fact that the older male just wasn't getting it was_ really_ tiring him . "Wasn't _one _of the _two _conditions I let you date Fran that if he wants to break up for _any _reason, you _comply _with it?!"

_Con…dit…ions…? I don't… H-head… hurting… H-hurts… _"I-I don't… k-know…" Bel's heart was starting to race as panic overwhelmed him, and he could feel his instincts telling him to fight, fight, hurt – _kill, _not let anyone near him, hurt him, _kill him_.

"Don't you start turning violent on me, Belphegor," Mukuro snarled. "Get out of the house. _Now. _I'm taking you back to your home. You're pissing me off more than ever."

Bel was faintly aware of Mukuro talking to him, but he couldn't make out anything the taller male was saying – he wanted Fran, wanted the other to stay with him, comfort him, let him know that everything was okay. "F-froggy…"

"You have no right to call him that anymore, Belphegor." Mukuro grabbed both of Bel's wrists for good measure, knowing Bel wasn't strong enough to pull away and land a punch, before he tugged carefully, getting the other to follow him.

Opening the front door, Mukuro was surprised to find Fran's friends standing by the door, the brunet's hand poised to knock; Fran usually walked home with these three, very close to them – it was unusual for them to come looking for him straight after school when they should surely have met up with him previously.

"Tsunayoshi…" Rokudo blinked in surprise before he remembered he had a dangerous Bel on his hands – it was only a matter of time before the blond started attacking out of confusion, fear – pure instinct - so it was best to get him home as soon as possible. "I'm sorry but Fran hasn't come home yet. If you wish to wait for him, please do so."

Mukuro had taken a step to move past the teenagers, but Tsuna's anxious voice stopped him.

"S-something's really wrong with Fran…"

_So he's been acting up at school as well… _Mukuro sighed before he turned back to the kids, the blond still squirming in his hold. "He hasn't been having a good time lately. Thank you for your concern, but I'm already aware of his condition."

"A-ah, he…" the brunet fidgeted with his hands. "…He ran off to Bel's home, and… I-I think he was crying…"

"I'll retrieve him after I drop this one back home. Thank you, Tsunayoshi."

Bel, whose panic had risen to unbearable levels at being restrained, started calling out for his brother as his desperate struggles continued, the only thing he could think about was that fact that he wasn't able to protect himself from whoever had him restrained. "R-rasiel! Rasiel!"

_Figures he'd call out for Rasiel – wait. Rasiel. Rasiel's living with Bel now, and Fran is there by himself… If Fran says anything to him, Siel's going to hurt him… And knowing Fran, he'll be shooting his mouth off right now. _

_God, no._

Barging past the kids with wide, horror-stricken eyes, Mukuro dragged the blond behind him as he ran as fast as he could through the apartment building, hoping he could get to his car and back to Rasiel's home in time.

Bel – as violent as he could be – was _nothing _compared to his brother – Rasiel was _deadly. _

_Please, let me make it in time… Fran…_

_**~~Forty-five minutes ago~~**_

Fran wiped at his eyes as he stepped into Bel's home, hoping no trace of his tears were left on his face. He didn't call out for Bel, unable to find it in him to speak – the other had hurt him so much, he didn't want to waste unnecessary effort on him.

Stepping further into the house he knew so well, Fran looked around the living room, finding no trace of the boyfriend he wished to break up with.

_He must be in his room. Lazy senp - …Bel. Lazy Belphegor._

"My, my, what do we have here?"

Fran froze at the unfamiliar voice behind him. He turned, finding Rasiel standing in the archway that separated the kitchen from the living room, a glass of water in his hand. A smile that could put the one that always crossed Bel's when he was up to no good crossed his face.

"Looks like Bel's play thing has come back." Rasiel sneered, stepping closer. "Couldn't get enough of the show last night? You should have stayed – I fucked him nice and hard all morning long. You know whose name he called out each and every single time? The king's. Not the frog's. The _king's._"

"Fuck you…" Fran found himself muttering. He looked defiantly into Rasiel's face, unable to find it in him to be scared of the older twin – he felt _broken, _for a lack of the better word, like nothing mattered anymore, and Rasiel was nothing but a hairier verson than Bel in his eyes.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Rasiel purred. He leant over and placed the glass on the kitchen counter before he reached out, caressing Fran's chin. "You'd want me to fuck you even harder than Bel can, like the little whore you are. Always in Bel's bed calling out his name... I _know _you even touch yourself to thoughts of him, you filthy little whore. You'd let anyone fuck you, wouldn't you?"

Fran snarled and pulled away, his teal eyes narrowing in annoyance. What Rasiel had said was true, and that was probably why the string of insults hurt him so much – though he wouldn't let just anyone have their way with his body, he _did _spend most of his time in Bel's bed or pleasuring himself when he wasn't. "Don't touch me, slutty fake-king. I don't want to catch AIDS from you."

Fran didn't flinch when he was backhanded, his head snapping to the side from the force. He instead spat the blood that was pooling in his mouth at Rasiel, anger he so rarely felt consuming his entire being. He wanted to fight, to hurt Rasiel as much as _he _had been hurt.

"Disgusting creature," Rasiel snarled. "How dare you spit blood at the king, peasant?"

Fran didn't even have time to blink before Rasiel charged at him, knocking him to the ground. His head made a sickening crack as it hit the tiled floor, and as his vision darkened he could feel blood dripping from both his ears and the back of his head. He wasn't sure what damage had been inflicted upon his head, but he did know he was concussed – the nausea that was crushing him conveyed this.

The boy could feel hands grabbing hold of his jacket, pulling him from the floor. He bit back a whimper, not wanting to show his pain to his assaulter – he'd rather die than let a bastard like this see how much pain he was in.

"I can't believe Bel could want something as ugly as you," Rasiel sneered, shaking the boy back and forth. "You're so disgusting, your mere _presence _defiles the king's being. Whatever did my twin see in you – apart from your willingness to spread your legs for him?"

Opening his eyes just enough to look up at the blond, Fran spat out, "Fuck... you..."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" the older male lifted Fran into the air before throwing him into the wall, a sickening crunch resulting from the collision. He stepped back into the kitchen before he returned seconds later with a knife in his hand. "Too bad I'm not like Bel – _I _would never take something as pathetic as you."

Fran fought to keep his face expressionless, the pain he was in making it hard – it felt as if his body had been hit by a truck, and the world just wouldn't stop spinning.

"However, you can do me a favour and give me a blowjob," Rasiel offered, lowering his hands to unbutton his pants. "I hear you're amazing at it – always getting on your knees for Bel."

Fran tried to pull away from Rasiel, but it was too hard with his body in the state it was – especially when the blond dragged the knife across his throat before plunging it deep into his stomach.

Blood spilt from Fran's mouth as he choked, his emotionless mask broken as tears dripped down his cheeks. He bit down on his lip, refusing to allow something as disgusting as Rasiel enter any part of his body, no matter how much Rasiel tried to force him.

"Kaching," Rasiel growled before sliding the knife across Fran's cheek, leaving a trail of blood to pool down a pale cheek, mingling with tears. "Stupid frog. I should kill you right here."

_Death would be a better alternative than pleasuring something like _you... _M-mukuro... _Fran whimpered as he felt his pants being pulled from his body, not wanting his attacker to see him into such a frightened state – he wished Mukuro were here to save him like he always did. _Mukuro... I'm really scared... I was so stupid to come here alone... I want you to save me..._

Fran forced his eyes shut as he felt the blade of the knife leave bloody trails as it danced around the bare skin of his thighs. He shuddered as the cold metal was pressed against the tip of his member, fearing the crazed blond would slice him there.

"G-get off me..." Fran tried to slide his lower body away from Rasiel, but the older male's grip on him was too tight – so like Bel's, yet so _different. _"G-get off me, you sick fuck."

"That's no way to talk to a king," Rasiel teased, scraping the blade against the sensitive skin as he relocated it to somewhere no one other than Bel and himself had ever touched. "I'm curious though; how often did my brother touch you here?"

"N-none of your business." As scared and hurt as Fran was, he wasn't the type of person to give up in a fight – not to someone who wanted to do such sick things to his body.

Rasiel didn't reply to this; his expression took on a twisted grin as he pressed the knife inside of the boy, drawing unrestrained screams of pain from the boy as he twisted it, drawing rivers of blood that pooled on the tile beneath them.

Through his tears and cries of pain, Fran found the strength to kick out at the blond, wanting nothing more than to get away. His foot didn't manage to connect with the other; in his weak state, his leg twisted to the side, missing Rasiel completely.

"Such insolence." Rasiel sneered as he raised the bloodied knife to his lips, licking away what he had drawn. He observed the panting, moaning mess of a boy beneath him, his tight pants evidence of just how much he was enjoying this. "I'll have to teach you to stay away from what is _mine._"

"B-bel-senpai..." Fran could hardly talk – it hurt so _fucking much, _"...Bel-senpai would never... choose a p-psychopath over... over me..."

"He already_ has_," Rasiel taunted. "He's my blood, my reflection – my _twin. _You could _never _be enough for someone like him. You'll never know how his mind truly works, what he really feels – not the touches on his body he enjoys most, what drives him crazy with need. You could _never _satisfy my other half."

Fran panted weakly as his eyes fluttered closed, the black spots in his vision taking up more and more space, blinding him. _Mukuro... H-help... It hurts... So scared... _

"I-I was enough for him before you showed up..." Fran whispered. "I hate you..."

Rasiel laughed, the sound so like Bel's, yet so much more hateful – _twisted _with insanity_. _"And guess what, little frog..." leaning in to lick the shell of Fran's ear, the blond smirked at Fran's shudder before continuing, "...the king hates you, too."

"You're not a king..." Fran's voice was nothing more than pitiful whimpers by now, the pain overwhelming, the blood loss taking away his consciousness. "You're... lower than... scum..."

Rasiel backhanded the boy again, a hateful sneer on his face. Wrapping his hands around a pale throat, he squeezed, blocking oxygen from filling Fran's already-weak lungs.

The boy struggled weakly, his mouth open as he desperately tried to inhale, but he was just making things harder for himself.

Just when Fran felt as if it were the end for him, he was barely aware of the front door opening, a familiar head of blond following behind a blue, pineapple-shaped one.

_M-mukuro... _Fran shuddered as he felt himself passing out. His eyes fluttered weakly before they closed, his mouth parted in a silent scream. _Bel...senpai..._

The last thing teal eyes witnessed was Mukuro running towards them, a loud thud sounding right beside him as the weight that was pinning him down disappeared. Gasping in the oxygen Fran had previously been denied, he felt his body twitching as the nauseas feeling that had plagued him since he hit his head worsened, making him wish he were dead just to escape how horrible it felt – no amount of sickness had ever made him feel so ill.

Mukuro and Bel, who had just walked into the house together, had not been prepared to find _this. _

"Fran!" The blue-haired man tackled Rasiel from his charge, fists flying everywhere as the two scuffled. Mukuro, who was physically weaker than the blond, made up for it with his desperation to protect the boy he had taken in, striking back with equal force until they were both bloodied and bruised.

Bel, who was still standing in the doorway, watched in horror as his brother and best friend fought while Fran lay half-naked and unconscious beside them. He was frozen in horror, never having thought his beloved twin could do such a heinous thing to his beloved Froggy – and it was all _his _fault; if he had never given in to his needs, Bel would never have left to talk to Mukuro and Fran wouldn't have unknowingly walked into a house where Rasiel was waiting to attack him.

Gripping his chest tightly, Bel felt tears flow down his cheeks as he realised what he had done – he had just destroyed _everyone _he loved, and there was no returning from this – not even if Fran survived the attack.


	14. Chapter 14

Bel stared out of the window of his car as he waited at a red light, watching with a glum expression as people walked past on the sidewalks with smiles and laughter following after them.

_Why can't things be that way for me…? _Bel sighed, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel in anxiousness. _I… I fucked up so badly… _

Two days had passed since Rasiel's attack on Fran and, after Mukuro had rushed him to the hospital, the blue-haired man had told Bel to stay away, not wanting to see or even _hear _from him or his brother until he knew if Fran was going to be okay or not.

_At least he woke up today… _the blond pressed down against the accelerator once the light changed, sitting behind a stream of cars. _That's better than how he was doing before… _

Bel frowned at the thought, reaching into his pocket to pull his phone out. He knew it was dangerous to use his phone while driving, but it had never stopped him before – and it wasn't going to stop him now.

Unlocking his phone and flicking through to the most recent messages – who was Bel trying to kid? The only three people in his contacts list were Fran, Mukuro and Rasiel; no one else wanted to be _near _him, let alone text him – opening the third one down in the list from Mukuro.

Obscured eyes blurred with tears as he reread the words he had already scanned enough to memorise. _If Fran dies because of this, I never want to see you again, Belphegor. He's in emergency surgery in a critical state right now because of you. Don't you dare show up here with your half-assed apologies or beg for us to take you back in because after this, I don't want to know you or your brother. Please do us a favour and leave us be. Fran could be traumatised because of this, and if he is, it's all on your shoulders. _

Taking a hand off the wheel to wipe at his tears, Bel clicked the next message, one that had been sent the day after Fran was taken to hospital. He didn't know why he couldn't stop reading these messages – it caused him nothing but pain and grief, but he just couldn't stop.

_Fran's finally stable now. He's resting, but the doctors don't think he'll wake up for a few more days. I know I was harsh in my last reply. I don't want you to leave us – you're still my best friend and I understand you couldn't have seen this coming, that you were just trying to do what you thought was the right thing. I need to stay by Fran's side until he wakes up and I'd appreciate it if you left us alone until I hear what Fran has to say once he wakes up. Just do us all a favour and don't ever let Rasiel near him again._

Bel glanced up as he veered into the next lane without checking what was beside him, not even indicating; he wanted to get out of this slow traffic and get to Fran's side as soon as he could.

Looking back down at the phone he was holding, the blond read the last message, one that had been sent only half an hour ago.

_He's awake, but he's not talking again. I'm worried he's been broken. If you wish to see him, you may, but under no circumstances is Rasiel to even set foot near the hospital while Fran is here. _

Bel breathed a sigh of relief as if he were just reading the message for the first time. He turned into the side street, knowing the hospital was just a few minutes away now.

_**~~Mukuro and Fran~~**_

Mukuro was worried for Fran, but he was almost too scared to talk about it with him – he would never forgive himself if he kept bringing up memories he _knew _the boy didn't want.

The blue-haired man was holding his charge's hand as the teal-haired boy stared silently out of the window, twitching every now and then. He hadn't spoken a word to anyone since he woke up, and he didn't seem to be acknowledging anything around him.

_I have no idea what to do. _Mukuro sighed as he squeezed the tiny hand in his. _What _am _I supposed to do? I've never known anyone who's had something like this happen to them. Should I talk to him about it? Or should I avoid it in case it upsets him?_

_I wish I knew how to help, Fran. I really do._

Mukuro just stared down at his lap, keeping silent as Fran twitched again. He didn't know whether or not it was from pain or something else – the amount of painkillers that were being pumped through his system should be blocking his nervous system from sending messages to his brain, but he could never be too sure; _he _had never been hurt so badly before.

_Fran... I'm so sorry I let you down... I'm so sorry... I should have never let you go alone – I should have known something like this would happen. _

The door to Fran's room opened slowly, drawing Mukuro's attention to it. He didn't speak as a head of blond hair poked in, looking around uncertainly.

"Mukuro...?" Bel whispered, his body shaking as he stepped further into the room. He was silent for a few seconds before he approached the bed, fumbling with his hands uncertainly. "...Is it... okay for... the prince to be here...?"

Mukuro nodded. "He probably won't acknowledge you, though..."

Bel moved to the other side of the bed, kneeling down in hopes it would make him less intimidating to his loved one. He took note of the younger's appearance, swallowing nervously as he saw the white bandage wrapped tightly around Fran's head, only a few tuffs of hair hanging down in his eyes.

Beneath the white hospital shirt, he saw bandages wrapped around his neck, disappearing beneath the material. His hands were bandaged as well and, with the thin blanket covering his lower body, he could only imagine what was down there.

The bruises around Fran's face and the cut with grotesque stitches sticking out in Bel's vision screamed at him that it was his fault. The teal eyes he loved so much were blank, so _not _Fran.

The assortment of drips that were attached to Fran's arm only the made the sight so much more apparent of how serious the boy's condition was – it was no surprise the nurses hadn't much hope for his survival during the emergency surgery.

Bel reached out in an attempt to brush teal locks behind the boy's ear, but he quickly pulled his hand back to his body when Fran flinched and pulled away.

"F-froggy...?" Bel whispered, trying to hide how hurt he was by the younger's reaction. "Froggy, are you okay?"

Unfocused teal eyes slowly moved to fix on Bel, almost as if they were trying to comprehend what had been said to him.

When Fran spoke, it was in a shaking yet still so emotionless tone. "I had a knife shoved up my ass. How do you think I feel?"

Bel dropped his head as Fran turned to look back out of the window, ignoring everyone around him. He continued to twitch every now and then but his face remained blank, giving no insight to what he was thinking – if anything.

No one spoke for a while after this, the scene far too distressing for conversation to be made.

_This is all my fault..._Bel continued to blame himself, too scared to try and talk to Fran again – the way the boy seemed like nothing but a zombie was too much for him to bear. _I can't... I don't know... what to do..._

Mukuro, who was still holding Fran's hand, just stared down at his lap, the reality almost too much to bear – his sweet, beloved Fran...

The blue-haired male wondered when Chrome would be able to get around to seeing them, knowing the girl was too busy with work to be able to take time off. He hoped she would be able to get a better reaction out of Fran than the other two had; Chrome and Fran were very close, the shy female having been the one who helped him come out of his shell when he had only just been taken in.

_She's very upset..._ Mukuro frowned as he remembered talking to his sister on the phone two days ago, explaining everything that had happened; Chrome had been in near tears but her demanding job couldn't afford to let her take time off. _I hope she can make it soon._

When the door opened again for the second time that day, Mukuro turned hopeful eyes to it, almost believing Chrome had finally arrived, only to frown as Fran's nurse stepped into the room.

"I need to give him a bath before I can clean the wounds again," the blond woman said gently, knowing Mukuro would understand. "Would you like to leave the room?"

Mukuro nodded, reaching out to grab Bel's hand – he couldn't bear the hear the way Fran screamed, watching him thrash as his clothing was removed and hands ventured down to where he had been abused – the only emotion, the only _sign _that Fran was still a living, breathing person.

The blue-haired male had honestly been surprised when Fran had spoken to Bel, and he couldn't work out why he had chosen to ignore _him _altogether yet still acknowledge the blond who had caused this.

"The prince wants to stay…" Bel murmured as he tried to tug his arm out of Mukuro's grip.

"No, you don't," the younger male said softly. "It's… unsightly."

It took just a few more seconds to talk Bel into the leaving room, the smaller male anxious to leave Fran alone – the fear that the boy may break further was enough to bring him to tears.

As the two adults sat down in the corridor, their backs against the wall, Mukuro tried to distract himself from his charge's screams – whether they were in fear or pain, he didn't know – by examining his nails, his heart breaking as the acknowledge that he had failed as the parent-figure in Fran's life ate him from the inside out.

Bel was covering his ears, his knees drawn up to his chest as he leant over them, shaking. He understood why Mukuro had told him to leave, and he was thankful – he didn't think he'd be able to cope if he had to be in the same room as this happened.

Sensing his friend's distress, Mukuro moved closer and wrapped an arm around shaking shoulders, pulling him close; they both needed someone to support them during this hard time, and they were all the other had right now.

_**~~Later that day~~**_

When Fran had fallen asleep once more, Mukuro and Bel left to get some lunch. It was silent between them as they walked down the corridor, both almost too scared to break the muteness – with such heavy burdens on their shoulders, their emotions were hard to control.

It was Bel who started talking once they had sat down to eat. His voice shook as he spoke, tears running down cheeks.

"Why did you protect Siel?" the blond asked quietly. "He did this to Fran, but you lied so he wouldn't be in trouble… Why?"

Mukuro was honest as he spoke from his heart, knowing already why he had done such a thing. "Because Siel is your brother and you just got him back. No matter what he did to Fran, it's not my position to take him away from you once again – not when I believe Fran will not want to know you anymore; I couldn't bear the thought of you being all alone. Besides – shouldn't it be up to Fran if he wants anyone to know or not?"

Bel just nodded, not knowing how to reply. Everything Mukuro had said was true, but… could he ever forgive Rasiel for what he had done to Fran? When they had tried to talk about it, Rasiel had been insistent upon doing it only because the twins loved each other – that they were all the other needed, no one else.

Bel loved the idea of needing his brother – it was what he had spent so many years wishing he could have back – but did he really want to live in a world without Fran? He had suffered for so long with only Mukuro to talk to, then Fran came along and took away the loneliness.

The blond could _never _replace Fran, not with _anyone. _Fran was his _Froggy, _his best friend, his lover, the one he loved most and would do anything for. Sure, their relationship was illegal as Fran was still only seventeen and he twenty-six, and maybe he wasn't the best boyfriend at times, but he _did _try and he really believed that the only thing that mattered was that they loved each other.

The younger twin had spent years helping Mukuro and Chrome raise the boy, he had come to know Fran on a personal level _they _hadn't, he knew the younger's body better than anyone else, and he would do _anything _Fran asked of him – because that's what it meant to love his Froggy.

But Rasiel. Rasiel had been gone for so many years, had left his heart broken and shattered, almost irreparable. It had taken time but he had gotten through the grief alright, and while Rasiel hadn't been there for him as he grew up, Mukuro and Fran had.

Could he really just abandon the ones who had kept him alive for the brother he had been fine without?

"What are you going to do about Rasiel?" Mukuro asked, aware that the topic was a hard one for Bel – he couldn't imagine what the older male must be experiencing because of this.

"…He's my twin and I love him…" Bel started in uncertainty. "…B-but… he hurt Froggy…" the young man leant over and rested his head on Mukuro's frail shoulder, sighing. "…The prince… doesn't know what to do with his brother…"

"Whatever you decide to do, I will not allow him to ever go near Fran again," the blue-haired man advised.

Bel nodded, sniffing as he lifted a hand to wipe at his wet eyes. "The prince understands…"

Neither of them spoke again of the subject, it being too much for them to handle at the moment.

Bel, reluctantly, said goodbye to Mukuro not long later, needing to go home and get himself under control before he lost all control of his emotions.

_Please be okay, Froggy… _Bel thought as he unlocked his car. _I love you so much… _


	15. Chapter 15

**This chapter's merely an insight into Fran's thoughts at the moment. You can consider it a kind of interlude. I was having quite a bad day today so it's a rather depressing chapter as I was mostly venting my own emotions.**

Fran had lost count of how many nights had passed since he had been brought to the hospital. His days consisted of staring out of the same window again and again in between his naps, while his nights were more painful than his own mangled body – the nightmares that waited to haunt his sleep never left him, always reliving the day of his assault.

The boy's throat was always sore, phlegm and blood often coughed up from the damage his continuous screaming was doing, and when the doctors took away one of his IV tubes, the pain he had felt when Rasiel had him all that time ago returned. He could barely move without his body feeling as if it were on fire, like he had been trampled by a herd of elephants.

Fran knew Mukuro always stayed with him, was always there to whisper to him and hold his hand after the nightmares had disrupted his sleep. He often heard the man talking to him, but he couldn't make out what the other was saying – it was all a blur, nothing more than the buzz of a TV in the background of someone absorbed in their favourite book.

Tsuna, Gokudera and Yamamoto often visited Fran but, every time one of them tried to reach out for him, the teal-haired boy could only flinch away, remembering the feel of Rasiel's hands on his body. He didn't want to be touched; not by Tsuna, not by Mukuro – not by _anyone. _

The boy barely ate, his already-thin frame almost nothing but skin wrapped around bones. His stomach would churn whenever someone offered him food, the familiar smell of meals he would have had a second or even third helping of previously now making him feel as nauseas as his cracked skull did.

His ribs were broken, as were his arms, most likely from having been thrown against the wall. It was difficult to breathe as his lung had been punctured from the damage, but none of that hurt more than when he needed to pass his bowel movements – despite that he was on laxatives to try and help lessen the pain. It felt as if that knife had been shoved straight back inside of him, and it horrified him.

He hated the nurses who always came in and put their hands all over him, took his clothes off – no, stop it, don't touch me, get away_, get away! -_ made him relive the experience all over again – all Fran could think of was the way he had felt so embarrassed, _ashamed _of himself when the older twin had exposed his lower half.

It seemed the only time Fran could even feel emotion was when those nurses came in to do their job – the fear that accompanied the flashbacks were all he could feel as he lay there in his hospital bed, detached from the world.

He couldn't remember saying anything to anyone apart from Bel, but even _he _couldn't understand why he had responded to that question and _only _that question.

Fran hated life, the underlying fear, the sadness he knew was hiding just beneath the surface, ready to strike out at him when he was least prepared – would he be able to handle it? Would it be too much? He had never been so confused before – never had so many questions he couldn't answer about _himself. _When would it assault him? Would it be worse than his attacks when the nurses came near him? Would it… would it _kill _him…?

Did Fran want to die? He wasn't sure. Did he want to forget? Yes. He wanted everything to stop – he wanted to go home to his bed he loved so much. He wanted to curl up in his blue blankets, hide from the world, listen to the familiar sounds of Mukuro going about his business somewhere else in the house.

He didn't want to stay in this impossibly white room that was_ too _clean for his likes, the smell of death just below the surface. Had people died in this room before? In this bed he was in? Had they wanted to die? Or had they lost the lives they fought desperately to keep?

Would he become one of them? Die in this very bed from some underlying problem caused by Rasiel? Or would the silence, the whiteness, the very unsettling aura about this place provoke him to do it himself.

A knife will do the job. Or pills. Maybe even the poison Mukuro keeps beneath the sink. Just one cut, a mouthful of pills, a glass of surface spray.

Would death be better? He would forget everything if he was dead. But what if he survived? He didn't want the memories, but he didn't want to lose Mukuro, not Tsuna or the others. He'd miss some of his teachers – Dino was a very nice man and often amused him with his clumsiness; he'd miss sniggering when the teacher tripped over air, after all – and, call him a nerd, but he enjoyed doing his work. He wouldn't get to do any advanced questions no one else in his classes could answer.

If he survived, he'd still have his bed, his loved ones, but then he'd still live with the trauma, the pain of the injuries. Was it worth the price of living?

Why had God forsaken him? Left him to suffer like this? It hurt, bled, agony, pain, tears – _make it stop! God, make it stop!_

Fran was finding it so hard to decide what he wanted, and the happy chirping of the beds sitting on the windowsill wasn't helping. He wanted them to stop, stop singing, stop – stop being _happy _because _he _couldn't feel _anything. _He couldn't feel the happiness he usually felt for just being _alive, _not the amusement as he thought of something funny that had happened during his day, the love and appreciation he felt for his loved ones, nor the need to pleasure himself into a whimpering mess when he watched too much adult-rated content on sites Mukuro had tried to forbid him from clicking but eventually gave up on – Bel had a stash of porn; if Fran wanted it enough he'd just go to Bel's, right? The boy was already having sex; what was the point?

What was the point? The _point? _The point to what? Living? There was no point – he couldn't find it anymore. He had loved life and everything in his own previously, but now he didn't know how to feel anymore. Happy? Sad? Scared?

Why can't he feel anything, nothing, emptiness, dead?

Live for the people around him? Or die for himself? Would people miss him? Would anyone go to his funeral – scratch that; _would _he have a funeral? Would people still remember he existed? Say, years in the future, "Oh, yeah, I remember Fran; he was the quiet guy in my class". Or would he be forgotten to the unforgiving nature of time?

What would it feel like to be forgotten? What would it feel like to try and live? Fran couldn't find the better alternative to his predicament.

And for the first time in however long it had been – too long, want to go home, hate it here, hate it, _hate it! -_ Fran started to cry. The feelings he had thought so much on crashed down on him like a tidal wave destroying an entire town in one fell swoop. He pulled away when skinny arms reached out for him, too scared to let them touch him – stop it, Rasiel, stop, don't, hate you, fuck you, _die!_

He blocked out the calls of his name, not wanting to listen to Rasiel's taunts – stop it, end it, make it stop, kill me, _shut up! _– as he played with the blade.

He could feel the blond's hands all over him, the pain he felt as the knife penetrated his stomach, the inability to breathe as hands wrapped tightly around his throat, the searing agony that was so incomparable to how it felt when Bel slid inside of him during their sessions.

In this moment, Fran was sure death was the better alternative.


	16. Chapter 16

It didn't take Rasiel long to approach his twin once Bel arrived home from the hospital, asking about the boy's condition – not in concern or anything of the like; he was hoping the teenager died, not wanting to share Bel with _anyone, _much less an ugly toad.

"Siel…" Bel didn't know what to say; he loved his brother, but… Rasiel had hurt Fran… "…The prince… The prince loves you, but… he loves Froggy more…"

Rasiel clenched his hands by his side before he slapped the second-born viciously. He watched as Bel raised a shaking hand to his cheek, the younger in a stunned silence, before he spoke, "You are _mine, _Bel. The king doesn't need his memories to know this."

_He just hit me… He… He hit me… _hit _me… _Bel turned obscured eyes to his brother, confused by this turn of events. "…Why…?"

Rasiel grabbed the front of Bel's striped shirt before he pulled his twin in for a bruising kiss. He bit aggressively on the younger's bottom lip, drawing blood as he demanded entrance.

Bel, who was still too shocked, opened his mouth without even being aware of it. He groaned as he felt the hot muscle probe around in his mouth but, as much as he didn't want it, he couldn't help but pull his twin closer.

Rasiel ravaged the younger's mouth for as long as he could before pulling away for air, a possessive snarl escaping his lips. He bit down on Bel's neck savagely, drawing rivers of blood from the wound. He lapped up the blood with a hungry tongue before growling against the injury, "You're _mine." _

"Rasiel…" Bel moaned, feeling his pants tightening. He bit back a whimper, hating how his body was responding. "I… I don't want this…"

Siel bit back down on Bel's neck, drawing more blood. He slid a hand down his twin's side before resting it on Bel's arousal, squeezing tightly. "Your body says otherwise, little brother."

Bel tried to shake his head as he felt a hand slip into his pants, grasping his hardened self tightly. "Stop…"

Rasiel ignored his brother's wishes and instead pushed him onto the ground before crawling over him, pinning the younger beneath him. His hot breath fanned out onto his twin's face, sending shivers and fear down the younger.

Bel could feel his heart starting to race, realising his twin wasn't going to stop. Curling his hand into a fist, he punched Rasiel in the face as hard as he could, trying to get the older male away from him.

The older blond, however, seemed almost unfazed by this. He merely sneered as he grabbed Bel's skinny wrists in one hand, pinning them to the ground above the younger's head.

"Now, now, little brother," Rasiel whispered, running a hot tongue across his twin's lips, "you shouldn't treat royalty like that."

"I told you I don't want this," Bel hissed, feeling anger overwhelming him. He twisted and squirmed beneath his twin, but nothing he could do dislodged Rasiel. _Why is he doing this to me…? I… I thought he… He'd still love me… _"Get off me, Siel!"

Rasiel ignored this and reached down into his pocket, pulling a knife from it. He could sense the fear in Bel as he ran it over the younger's striped shirt, and he couldn't help but smirk – but superior rush he got from dominating someone in such a way aroused him to no end.

_I should have known he'd do something like this… _Bel snarled as his favourite shirt was cut in half by the knife, the tip drawing blood along with it. _If he could do that to Froggy…_

The younger blond tried to buck the other off again, but it was useless; Rasiel was stronger, and he was making sure Bel knew this. Bel _hated _the way his groin only became harder as his blood was spilt – if this was consensual, he would have loved it, but this was far from wanted.

"Stop it, Rasiel!" Bel shouted as loud as he could, hoping it would bring his twin back to his senses. "This is _not _what I want!"

Rasiel slipped the knife back into his pocket before he sat up briefly, ripping the younger's pants down in a fluid motion. He smirked at the large erection that told him Bel _did _want this.

"You know what they say," Rasiel whispered as he wrapped a calloused hand around Bel's shaft, "your mouth says no, but your cock says yes, little brother."

Bel tried to argue back but he was silenced by the pair of lips that came crashing down on his, silencing his defiance. _When did he become like this…? He… He seemed to sweet, but… Oh, god… Make this stop… This _isn't _my twin… The Rasiel I know would _never _do this to me…_

Rasiel pulled back for air after a few minutes, that same twisted grin his brother was coming to hate on his face. He pulled himself up until he was sitting on Bel's chest, his length just inches from Bel's mouth.

"Would you like to taste royalty again, little brother?" Rasiel reached out, stroking the younger's face tenderly. He pressed his tip against tightly-closed lips, cooing. "Open up, Bel. It tastes wonderful – I know you like it. I remember all the blowjobs you've given me lately. It tastes good, doesn't it?"

"Go to hell…" Bel mumbled, trying to turn his face away from his brother.

Rasiel made a tutting noise before he slapped the younger blond once again, a large scowl on his face. "Don't disobey me, little brother."

Bel couldn't say he wasn't scared – he was _petrified. _He had never known Rasiel to be like this before. Sure, when they were younger, they had their violent tendencies towards other kids they came into contact with, but never before had that violence been directed at _him. _

_What happened to you, Rasiel…? _Bel felt himself tearing up as he tried to understand. He reluctantly opened his mouth, giving up on trying to get his twin to leave him alone. _I don't… Why are you doing this to me…? Don't you remember… our promise…?_

_We promised we'd never hurt each other… That we'd always be there for each other… But I guess you lost that memory with everything else… _

_Rasiel… Please… Come back to me… Siel… I love you… _

"That's it, baby brother," Rasiel whispered affectionately as he caressed a cheek wet from tears. He rocked his hips back and forth, forcing himself deeper and deeper into his twin's throat. "Nice and easy. That's it."

Bel couldn't stop the tears that dripped down his cheeks; with the newly-acquired knowledge that his brother wasn't the same from their childhood, he could only fear for his life – Rasiel had already attempted to kill Fran; would he be next if he disappointed?

Resigning himself to what he knew was coming, Bel could only cry when he climaxed all over his brother's body minutes later, unable to understand why his own had continuously been aroused by the unbearable amount of pain-filled pleasure throughout all of this – it wasn't wanted, _none _of it,.

_Rasiel… _Bel continued to weep as he lay curled against his brother's front, _…Rasiel, you _raped _me… Why…? Why would you do this to me…? _

Rasiel, who lay naked with his arms curled around his twin, holding him close, rocked him back and forth, whispering soothing words to him.

"It's okay, little brother," Rasiel whispered, brushing back sweat-stained bangs. "You did wonderful, my prince. It's okay. There's no need to cry. It's all over now. It's all over. Shh…"

_It's not over…_ Bel thought to himself as he cried harder, his body trembling from fright. _How am I supposed to forget what you just _did _to me…?! _

As if he had just read the younger's thoughts, Rasiel whispered again as he caressed his twin's face, "The king won't have to punish you if you don't misbehave for him, little brother. Be a good boy from now on. Shh…"

Bel felt sick from these words. He felt as if his stomach was churning, as if he was about to throw up. What had happened to his loving Rasiel? The one who always comforted him when he was sad? The one who held him close and soothed him when he was sick? The only _family _he had in his life?

What had happened to _that _Rasiel? And why had he never been able to see the change…?

_Fuck… _Bel continued to cry, and his brother held him patiently. _I miss you… Siel… _


	17. Chapter 17

**Kaissica mentioned last chapter she wasn't too sure where the plot was heading. I'll just say that the story's in its last arc, and within the next chapter or so you should finally get back on track. Just no spoilers for the plot. **

Mukuro couldn't have been more relieved when, after a month and a half of sitting by Fran's side in the hospital, the nurse said he could go home.

It hadn't been easy at all to get Fran out of the bed and into the car – the boy barely heard his father-figure asking if he could walk and, when Mukuro reached out to carry him instead, it only resulted in the younger pulling away, not wanting to be touched.

It had taken all of Mukuro's strength to pull the trembling body onto his lap and hold him tightly so the struggles Fran put up didn't cause him to fall to the floor. The whimpers and illegible pleas the boy made broke his heart, but he had to be strong and – hopefully – show Fran he wasn't going to hurt him.

What should have been a straight fifteen minute drive back home took a lot longer because of Fran's fear of being touched – it took twice that time to get him to calm down and, when the man finally got him into the car, it took a few more minutes to seat him in a position that didn't cause pain to his still-healing rectum.

Mukuro was relieved that Fran tired himself out during the drive home merely by staring out of the passenger window in silence; it was much easier to get him upstairs and into their apartment while the boy slept.

And now, as Mukuro sat on the couch in the living room, flipping through pages in a magazine, he stressed about how he was going to care for the boy here on in – there was no one to help him and he didn't know if he could handle it by himself.

_I hope Chrome can get more time off..._ Mukuro sighed as he threw the magazine he was holding back onto the coffee table, unable to focus. _I really need a break – it's been too much sitting with him all the time, and now that he's home he should be okay to leave._

Heterochromatic eyes glanced down at his phone as it vibrated on the hardwood in front of him. He picked it up, seeing Bel had finally replied to the text he had sent earlier that morning, saying that Fran was coming home today.

Opening the message, Mukuro scanned it quickly, a tad concerned as to why Bel was now asking for permission to come around – the blond usually just invited himself in whenever he wanted, so something must be bothering him.

_That's fine, _Mukuro's nimble fingers typed. _The door's unlocked. I'll be in the kitchen._

Bel didn't reply, worrying Mukuro further; this was odd behaviour from the man – but then again, it was also probably just part of the older male's unpredictability.

Trying not to think too much on it, the blue-haired male stood up and moved into the kitchen, deciding he would busy himself with cooking lunch for them all. He wasn't sure how much Fran would eat, but he could only hope that now that the boy was back in familiar surroundings, his appetite would return – it was horrible knowing the boy had to be fed through a tube because he wouldn't eat.

_Come to think of it... _Mukuro's lips pursed as he turned the tap on, washing the dishes that had been abandoned on the sink all those weeks ago, _...I haven't heard or seen from Bel in a while now. Not since he told me he was going to tell Siel he didn't want such an intimate relationship anymore. _

_Knowing the twins, they've probably had a fight over it... But if they had... Would Bel really want to fight with the brother he thought was dead, though? What if Rasiel has hurt him? Siel had always been more unstable than Bel..._

_I'll have to make sure everything's okay when Bel gets here._

Changing his train of thoughts, Rokudo cleaned the kitchen in silence before he started cooking, keeping the fact that Fran's stomach was still weak and couldn't handle solids.

_**~~Bel~~**_

When Bel had finally finished climbing the stairs and stopped in front of his friend's door, he hesitated before reaching out to grab the handle; he was stressed, very stressed, and he hoped Mukuro hadn't noticed his absence for the past few weeks – he doubted it, however, as he would usually have been sitting in the hospital every day with Fran under any circumstance.

It wasn't that Bel had wanted to stay away from them – it was Rasiel who was now controlling his life. The older twin had been adamant in keeping his brother from the hospital, refusing to allow even the slightest bit of contact with the younger males, not willing to chance them taking _his _Bel away.

_I'm so glad he's left for the day... _Bel shuddered as he remembered how his morning had begun; his eyes had opened before they were ready to Rasiel forcing himself into his brother's unwilling body. _At least I could talk him into leaving me home, even if I had to promise not to leave my own _home...

Grabbing the doorknob and turning it, Bel poked his head into the apartment, knowing that Mukuro was in the kitchen, probably cooking for Fran.

"Mukuro...?" Bel closed the door behind him quietly, self-consciously running a hand over his wounded neck, hoping his friend wouldn't comment – it was painful enough remembering how forceful and... and just... _cruel _Rasiel had become towards him without others reminding him.

Walking through the living room, Bel stood in the doorway to the kitchen, watching as Mukuro stirred a pot of soup on the stove. The other had his back towards Bel, his long hair flowing down his back languidly.

"Mukuro, where's Fran?" Bel asked in a quiet voice, looking anywhere but at the younger man. _Don't look, don't see... Don't see how weak I am to my brother..._

"In bed," Mukuro replied, not taking his eyes off his task. "He was asleep when I left him. Are you hungry?"

Bel was _starving, _truth be told, but he wasn't going to tell that to Mukuro. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten a decent meal, the stress Rasiel was putting him through just too much to cope with.

"Not really..." Bel mumbled, fumbling with his hands.

Mukuro, who knew that shaking voice meant a lie all too well, turned to look at his friend, turning the stove off as he did so.

Heterochromatic eyes widened in surprise as they took in the ragged sight of Bel. His hair was a mess, his clothes were torn and dirty, and his already-skinny frame resembled a stick right now, obvious even through such baggy clothing. What had happened to the man who was obsessed with keeping himself as clean as possible because he was "a prince"?

"Bel..." Mukuro couldn't believe the bruises and cuts that marred Bel's face and neck, and he _knew _Rasiel was behind them. He was almost too scared to think about what other injuries were hiding beneath the older male's clothing, not wanting to acknowledge that there was someone out there who could hurt Bel enough to make him submit to them – the blond _never _submitted to _anyone_.

Reaching out to put his hand on the blond's cheek, Mukuro whispered, "What has he been doing to you...?"

Bel welcomed the gentle touch, pressing his cheek in against his friend's hand. He sighed before he spoke, his voice absent of the strength he once mustered.

"He's not... _Siel_," Bel tried to convey in his nervousness. "...He's... _Different..._"

Mukuro, who had been expecting something like this the second he found out his friend's twin was still alive, didn't know what to say without upsetting Bel further.

Instead, the blue-haired man gestured to the table behind them, a sad smile on his face. "Want to talk about it?"

Bel shook his head, knowing he wouldn't be able to clarify his feelings properly to his friend. He sat down at the table and watched the long-haired male move to the fridge and open the door, pulling a carton of chocolate milk out.

There was silence in the kitchen as Mukuro poured two glasses of chocolate milk, the two deep in their own thoughts.

_He doesn't need to talk to me for me to realise what's happening..._ Mukuro bit his lip as he carried one of the glasses over to the blond, handing it to him. _It's obvious in the way he's acting. He needs to get away from Siel. It's too dangerous for him to be there._

"Can I stay here tonight?" Bel asked, almost as if he had read Rokudo's mind. "I don't..."

"That's fine." Mukuro smiled as he sat across from the smaller man. "Will Rasiel say anything about it?"

"He can go shove it," the younger twin said bitterly. "It's _my _house and _my _life... I... I should have listened to you, Mukuro... I was better off without him."

"Hey, he's your brother," Mukuro said softly. "It's only natural you wanted him back in your life."

"..." _Is it wrong for me to be regretting this...? _ Obscured eyes stared down into their owner's lap, brimming with tears. _...I... I wanted the _old _Siel... Not... Not _this _Siel... _

_I can't believe I didn't see this coming... I really... should have known better... I was just so desperate to have him back – to know he wasn't dead like everyone thought... I should have known that with the memory loss, he wouldn't be the same... Wouldn't remember what I do... _

_I was so stupid... And now I'm too scared to say anything about it to him... _

Mukuro, who had been waiting patiently for the other to sort his thoughts, was sure he had heard Fran call for him from the bedroom, and he could only imagine what he needed.

Standing up, the blue-haired male excused himself to check on his charge. "I'll be back, Bel. I think Fran's awake."

Mukuro, who had left Fran's bedroom door open in case this happened, poked his head into the room a few seconds later. He noticed the boy lying in the bed, a pained expression on his face as he squirmed around uncomfortably.

"Are you okay, little one?" Mukuro stepped into the room, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. He wanted to reach out and brush teal locks out of Fran's eyes, but he couldn't bear the watch as the other recoiled from him once more.

Fran nodded, a whimper escaping his lips. He opened his eyes, staring into heterochromatic ones, pain conveyed in those teal orbs. "H-hurts..."

"Do you want more painkillers?" The older male was wary of giving the injured boy too many, but he knew it was cruel of him to leave him in such a state – he couldn't imagine the amount of pain Fran was in.

Fran nodded, grasping at his ribs that had been broken during the attack; they still hadn't healed properly, and Mukuro knew it was hard for his charge to breathe properly because of it.

"I'll go get some for you," Mukuro said softly, standing back up to leave the room.

Fran closed his eyes once more, his body shaking from the pain – it wasn't just his ribs; his entire body was aching, and he felt as if he was reliving the day of the assault.

_M-mukuro... _Fran felt tears prick at the corner of his eyes as he let out a loud moan of pain; it was as if his entire body was slowly being crushed under an invisible weight. _Mukuro… Hurts… Everything hurts…_

Fran was finding it harder and harder to breathe through the pain and, when Mukuro returned minutes later and tried to sit him up, he could only cry out as the position agitated his already-crushing pain.

"Breathe, little one," Mukuro whispered as he pressed two pills against dry lips, trying to get Fran to open his mouth. He sighed when the younger's head turned away at the slight pressure, following the pale lips with the pills. "It's okay, Fran, it's okay; painkillers. They're just painkillers. Shh…"

Fran blinked up at his carer at these words, taking in fragments of what was being said. He could sense the caring, gentle tone in the older man's voice, and from the few words he picked up on, he understand it wasn't Rasiel before him.

Opening his mouth hesitantly, Fran allowed the two pills to be placed in his mouth before accepting the glass of water that was now resting against his lips.

"One, two, three." Mukuro counted down before he tilted the glass, trying not to flood the boy's mouth with water as he offered liquid to wash down the pills. He smiled when the procedure was over, speaking softly. "You need to rest for now, little one. Wait for the pills to work. It's okay."

"M… Mukuro…" Fran's teary eyes fixed on the long-haired man as he reached out with a shaky hand, grasping at thin air. "Mu…kuro…"

Mukuro encased the tiny hand in his as he rested his palm against Fran's, their fingers entwined together. "What is it, little one?"

Fran's vision was blurry and unfocused as he tried to talk, but it was a lot harder than it had ever been before. "…B… B-bel…"

"Shh…" Mukuro brushed strands of soft tear hair from his custody's sweaty forehead, leaning down to place a gentle kiss there. "Bel is in the kitchen. Would you like to see him?"

Fran nodded, hoping that he hadn't hallucinated what Mukuro had just said, knowing that every sensation he could feel, or everything he saw and heard wasn't always real – a frightening side effect from the trauma and medication.

Fran barely noticed when the larger hand disappeared from in his, the side of the his bed sprung back up as weight lifted from it; all he knew was that he suddenly felt very sleepy, his body was a dead weight, and it was a war keeping his eyes from slipping closed.

The boy heard voices somewhere in the background, but he wasn't sure if they were read. "…medication… strong… puts him… sleep…"

Teal eyes rolled to where he thought the voices had come from, finding Bel and Mukuro standing by him.

With a whimper, Fran outstretched a trembling arm once again, grasping for someone to hold onto.

Bel – whether he was real or nor – was by his side immediately, kneeling on the bed beside him. His mouth was moving but Fran didn't hear anything he was saying.

"H… Hug…" Fran whimpered, hoping Bel would oblige.

When the blond laid down next to him and pulled him close, Fran sighed happily as he nestled in against the warm body, smelling the familiar scent of strawberry that always seemed to be associated with him filling his nostrils.

Resting his head under Bel's chin, his nose pressed against the pale skin of the blond's throat, Fran was finally content. _If this is… a hallucination… please let me… fall asleep with it… _

Bel's arms wrapped securely around the frail body pressed against him, turning to look back at Mukuro who was standing by the bed.

"He hasn't been so calm since the attack," Mukuro whispered, not wanting to disturb the boy. "It's the first he's wanted physical contact."

Bel smiled, kissing the younger's temple as he tightened his hold on Fran. "The prince… I'll look after him, Mukuro."

"Thank you, Bel." _Finally, some help with Fran. I should go relax while I can. I just hope Fran isn't too much trouble for Bel…_

Pressing himself closer to the boy, Bel inhaled the scent of sweat and uncleanliness that was clinging to Fran like a stubborn pimple. He was disappointed the usual smell of fresh mint was no longer there for him to sniff, but he understood – Fran was in pain and couldn't keep up his usual hygienic routines.

"I love you, Froggy…" Bel whispered, finally feeling at ease – there was no twin breathing down his neck, forcing him to do things he didn't want to; there was nothing but comfort and relaxation here.

Closing his eyes, Bel prepared to follow Fran into sleep, determined to rest up as best he could now that he had the chance – and the fact that his beautiful Fran was finally back in his arms made it all the more perfect.


	18. Chapter 18

_Nine-year-old Bel blinked sleepily as he woke to the feeling of hands on his body. Pushing himself up on his elbow, he covered his mouth as he yawned. _

"_S-siel...?" Bel didn't resist as his brother pushed him back down onto the bed, trusting the older twin to not hurt him. "What are you doing?" _

"_Shh..." Rasiel leant down to whisper into his brother's ear, a smirk on his face. "Don't wake mum or dad, okay? I want to play a game." _

_Bel whined and tried to push Rasiel away, too sleepy to want to play. "It's night..."_

"_It's a fun game," Rasiel promised. "You'll like it. It feels good." _

_Bel let out a whimper of fright as a hand ghosted over his crotch, uncomfortable with the feeling. "S-stop... That's a bad place to touch me..." _

"_It's okay – just don't tell anyone," the older twin coaxed. "It will feel good for you." _

_Bel, who was still groggy with sleep, didn't notice when a hand slipped beneath the waistband of his pants until it grabbed his flaccid, untouched member in a rough grip. _

_The younger whimpered louder as his hips bucked, the unfamiliar touch sending a jolt of pleasure down his spine – something he had never known could ever feel so good. _

_Bel continued to pull away, not liking how uncomfortable the situation made him – his gut feeling was telling him that this was wrong, that it had to stop – that no matter how good it felt, it was _bad.

"_P-please, s-s-stop, Siel…" Bel whimpered, his obscured eyes hazy with sleep. "I-I don't…" _

"_It's okay, Bel," Rasiel comforted. "Maestro__**(1) **__does this to me all the time. It's good. Don't be scared, Bel. Big brother would never hurt you."_

_Bel blinked sleepily at these words, knowing his brother was right – Rasiel _would _never hurt him; they loved each other too much. But right now, he wasn't enjoying what the older twin wanted to do with him. _

"_Siel…" Bel's pleading was cut off by his brother's mouth crashing against his, silencing his protests. His eyes widened as a tongue invaded his mouth but, against his instincts telling him to do so – to get the unwelcome intrusion out of his mouth – he refused to bite down on Rasiel's tongue. _

_When they broke apart for air, Rasiel continued to ignore all forms of objection from the younger, focusing on bringing Bel the pleasure he always got from his teacher. _

_By the time the older twin had managed to work Bel into a crying, exhausted orgasm, Rasiel knew his brother wouldn't resist anymore – not when the smaller shaft was hardening once more without his ministrations. _

_**~~XX~~**_

"…el…?"

Bel awoke with a start as he felt someone grab his shoulder and shake him awake. He hadn't realised he had been crying in his sleep until he felt someone's soft hands wipe away his tears.

Looking up, the blond came face-to-face with Mukuro, an unfamiliar man standing behind him.

"You must be Fran's boyfriend…" the blond standing in the doorway uttered quietly, confusion and anxiety in his voice. His brown eyes stared at Bel, a foreign expression in them.

"This is Dino," Mukuro explained, reaching past his friend to wake Fran up next. "He's Fran's teacher. He was concerned and came out to see how he's doing."

Bel didn't reply; he just watched as Fran's peaceful expression twisted into a pained one as he struggled weakly to get away from the hands that were disturbing his sleep.

"Wake up, little one…" the blue-haired man said softly, trying not to bring pain to the boy. "Dino wants to talk to you. Wake up..."

Teal eyes cracked open weakly before Fran rolled onto his other side, snuggling in against Bel's chest as he looked questioningly up at his father-figure.

"Mu…ku…ro…?" Fran's voice was nothing but a scratchy whisper, his unfocused eyes wandering around the room. His frail hands reached up, clenching the striped purple shirt his lover was wearing tightly.

"Dino wants to say hi," Mukuro explained before he stepped back, gesturing for the teacher to take his place.

Fran blinked continuously as he stared at Dino, his mind too foggy to remember who this man was or why he was here – did he even _know _the man? "…"

"Hello, Fran." Dino smiled as he sat on the edge of the bed, careful to leave space between he and the other blond – the way the male he had been told was named Belphegor looked made his heart clench; had Belphegor been attacked as well…?

"…" Fran yawned silently, his eyes tearing up from the action. He buried his face in Bel's chest, not wanting to deal with someone he wasn't sure he knew or not. Bel's large hands rubbed his back soothingly, the only thing that stopped him from crying.

"I bought something for you, Fran…" Dino slipped a hand into the pocket of his cargo pants, resurfacing with a handful of candy. He placed it on the bed beside Bel, trying to keep his smile up as he did so – if he had known the boyfriend was suffering as well, he'd have brought more for the other blond. "I'm not sure if you'll want to eat all of it or not, so you can share it with Belphegor."

"Bel…" Said man mumbled as he buried his nose in teal hair, trying to separate the unhygienic smell from the natural mint scent of Fran's hair.

"Sorry?" Dino turned his attention to the smaller male, fearing he had offended him – seeing Belphegor in this state, that was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Bel…" the younger blond repeated. "My name is Bel…"

"He doesn't like being called Belphegor," Mukuro elucidated. "He'd rather you call him Bel."

"My apologies, Bel," Dino said softly. "I hope for your swift recovery along with Fran's."

Bel just nodded, not knowing how to reply – why would someone he had just met literally two minutes ago care for his wellbeing…? Especially when Fran was on the bed next to him, traumatised and in more pain than he could handle?

Turning back to Fran, Dino continued to speak. He wanted to pull both of the damaged males into his arms and hold them tight, but after hearing about what had happened, he knew better – it would only cause more undo stress. "Tsuna asks about you all the time, Fran. I'll be sure to tell him I saw you today. He and his friends have wanted to visit you, but they're worried they'll upset you. Would you like for them to visit you?"

_I don't… even… remember… someone named… Tsuna… _Fran moaned softly as the dull throb in his rear pulsated suddenly. He shook his head, his eyes slipping closed. "…D… Don't… re-re…remember…"

Dino wasn't stupid – he understood what his student was trying to tell him. In silence, he nodded as he reached out, pushing a lock of teal hair from the boy's eyes. "I see… I should get going… I hope to see you in classes again soon, Fran… It was nice meeting you, too, Bel…"

Bel just nodded again as Fran pressed closer to his body. He listened to Mukuro whisper to the blond as they left the room together, something that sounded suspiciously like, "I'm going to pull Fran out of school soon if he doesn't recover in the following weeks – I don't think he'll want to go back…"

Bel sighed as he closed his eyes again, hugging Fran close to him. Tomorrow, he'd have to go back to his home and face the wrath of Rasiel as to where he'd been all night – but for now, he could rest peacefully with Fran.

Hearing the way the younger boy's breathing evened out, Bel smiled, glad to know Fran was able to relax in his hold – he was terrified things would be irreparable, but he knew, deep down, no matter what happened in the future, here and now he could pretend everything was fine, and that was exactly what he did.

**1 – Maestro is what I vaguely remember being taught means the masculine form of 'Teacher' for primary school in Italian. However, that was almost five, six years ago when I studied it in school for about two years before dropping it. If anyone has a better knowledge of the Italian language and can clarify this for me, I will much appreciate it.**

**I know Bel and Rasiel's country of origin was never clarified, so they're Italian in this fic. **

**Also, there will be about two or three chapters left. **


	19. Chapter 19

When Bel walked into his home the next day, Rasiel was sitting on the couch waiting for him with a large scowl on his face.

The older twin stood up and walked to Bel in silence, the only sound a loud slap that resonated across the room as Rasiel's hand connected with his brother's cheek.

"Didn't I tell you to stay away from them?" the first-born snarled. "I _told _you to stay away from them, and you _disobeyed._"

Bel bit his lip, hating to be controlled like this – especially when it was his own _twin _acting as if he could push the younger around.

Gathering up all the courage he had, Bel raised a fist and slammed it as hard as he could into Rasiel's stomach, hoping he could knock some sense into the older man.

While Rasiel doubled over, ragged coughs leaving his throat, Bel hissed, "Don't treat me like I'm a _slave, _Siel… I _hate _what you're doing, and I don't want you to be here anymore. Get out of my house. I'm done with you and your sick treatment."

Once the stronger blond had stopped coughing, he stared at the ground in silence for a few seconds before unexpectedly lunging forward and pinning Bel against the front door by his throat.

"You want to go back to that ugly toad?" Rasiel rumbled. He tightened the pressure against his brother's throat, a possessive snarl coating his words. "_He _can't please you like _I _can, Bel. _He _can't make you _scream _like _I _can – all he's good for is blowjobs; you _know _that's the truth."

"It's not about sex for us, Siel," Bel snapped back, trying to shove the other away. "We _love _each other – maybe he doesn't know how to make me feel as good as _you _can_, _but I don't care about that – I love him, and he loves me. That's all that matters."

"What do you see in him, Bel?" Rasiel questioned, running a hand up his twin's side suggestively. "The _king _is better than him in _everything. _You would want to throw away all I can give you? For what? A mouth specialising in blowjobs that is his only redeeming quality? I've never laid eyes on an uglier toad."

Bel could feel his anger bubbling in his stomach – he might have tolerated a lot of shit from Rasiel, but he would _not _let his _beautiful _Froggy be dragged into it when he did _nothing _wrong.

"Maybe he's not perfect," Bel admitted quietly. "He's a smartass and pisses me off at times. ...But I've _never _loved anyone like I do my Froggy, Siel... He's… he's the sweetest person I've ever met, and he _cares _about my happiness – _our _happiness together. He screws up sometimes but as I said; he's not perfect. At least he _tries _to fix what he's done wrong because he _cares _about my feelings. And him being ugly? Siel… He's the most beautiful thing I've _ever _come across, inside and out. So don't you _ever _insult him in front of me _again, _Siel – I've had it. Get the _fuck _out and don't come back. I should never have let him go for _you._"

Rasiel's sneer twisted into sick smirk at these words. Dropping his hand into his pocket, he resurfaced with the same knife he had used against Fran in the attack, the boy's dried blood still coating the blade.

"I'm sure his insides _do _look beautiful, not that you mention it… Ushesheshe~ I shall cut him open and see."

"Don't you touch him." Bel snarled, no longer caring for his own safety – all he knew was that Fran was in danger, and he had to protect the younger boy. "I swear, if you do anything to him…"

Rasiel continued on as if he hadn't heard his brother, licking at the blade. "Ah… I wanna tear him apart in his bed. I'll coat his walls red with his blood. Hmm. Do you think if I cut his dick off, he'll eat it? Ah, and Mukuro… Maybe I'll make him fuck the toad until he dies. After that… Ushesheshe~ I'll kill Mukuro next~"

Bel could feel himself slipping into an uncontrollable rage at these words – not only Fran, but Mukuro, too… They had _nothing _to do with this!

"I'll…" Bel let out a crazed laugh as he felt his mind clouding. His conscious awareness was fading as he continued to laugh, no longer aware of what was happening around him.

All the younger twin knew was that the screams he was vagely aware of sounded like music to his ears.

_**~~Mukuro's apartment~~**_

Mukuro sighed as he placed the small plate of food on the windowsill, unable to stop himself from feeling ill at the stench of his charge.

"Fran…" Mukuro's voice was soft as he spoke, his eyes shining gently. Fran looked up at him blankly, a spot of ramen soup on his chin. Reaching out to dab gently at the spilt food with a handkerchief, Mukuro said quietly, "It's time for a bath, little one."

Fran wrinkled his nose at the suggestion, shaking his head. He didn't speak; he merely lay back down in the bed with his back to his carer.

"Fran…" Mukuro knew he had to be firm and, as much as Fran wouldn't like it, he had to take care of the boy' hygiene. Grabbing the teeneager and pulling him into his arms, the blue-haired man carried the weakly-struggling body out of the bedroom and into the bathroom.

Rokudo held Fran close as he ran the taps to the bath, slowly stripping the boy of his clothing. It broke his heart to hear the whimpers and pleas for Fran to be left alone, and he could only fear that the trauma would be more extensive further down the line.

Placing a kiss on Fran's cheek, Mukuro tried to keep his spirits up – but it was so hard when the boy he had dedicated his life to caring for was suffering so much.

"I'll take a bath with you, little one," the man whispered, hoping it would bring _some _sort of comfort to the boy – something they used to do a lot together when Fran was younger.

Fran stopped struggling as the older male carefully placed him onto the floor, leaning against the bathtub. He didn't say anything as Mukuro started to undress but he did glance away, a light red coating his cheeks.

Mukuro couldn't remember the last time he had taken a bath with the boy, believing it to have been shortly before Fran started hitting puberty – the random erections that seemed to plague Fran all day had made him too uncomfortable to get back in the bathtub with him.

"Here we go…" Mukuro said gently as he picked Fran back up, feeling the boy's arms wrap around his neck as he stepped over the edge and into the water. "Is this warm enough, little one?"

Fran nodded silently as he glanced down, a sad expression on his face. He ran his hand through the water, creating small ripples, but he didn't speak.

Mukuro knew it was best to leave him be, so after grabbing the shampoo from the edge of the tub, he pulled the boy back against him, hoping Fran would understand.

As expected, Fran just trembled as hands massaged his scalp, unable to feel the once-comforting sensation he always received whenever he bathed with Bel or Mukuro. He didn't complain as the shampoo was washed out and a washcloth lathered with soap begun caressing his body.

"Is this okay, little one…?" Mukuro stopped his hand just above the waterline, against the middle of Fran's stomach. He was afraid of going any lower, not wanting to cause the boy any discomfort in the least.

The teal-haired boy shook his head, not wanting anyone's hands down there except for Bel's. He reached out, wrapping his tiny hands around Mukuro's, pushing it away from his body.

"Can you clean down there?" the older male asked, turning the boy's hand palm side up so that he could place the washcloth in it.

Fran nodded, doing as instructed. He felt a little embarrassed doing such a thing in front of Mukuro, but there was a vague memory in the back of his mind, one of Bel cleaning him down there instead.

The boy blushed slightly at the memory, taking care to avoid irritating his injuries. He was feeling rather shy at the moment and the last thing he wanted was to open one of his stitches and need Mukuro to fix it for him.

Mukuro was quiet, his attention focused anywhere but on Fran. _This is quite uncomfortable… But I fear it would be the only way I could get him into the bath… _

Tuning back in to his surroundings, Mukuro took notice of someone knocking on the front door. With a soft, "I'll be back", he got out of the tub and wrapped a towel around his waist, irritated to have someone disrupt his time with Fran.

_I wonder who this could be at this time of night… _Mukuro frowned as he opened the front door, deciding that whoever it was could be sent off with the simple explanation that he was too busy to talk – but when a blood-stained Bel stepped into the apartment without invitation, he threw the entire idea of dismissing his visitor out of his mind; not only was Bel's clothing covered in blood, he was crying.

"B-bel!" Mukuro pulled his friend further into the room before ducking his head out of the door, hoping with all his being no one had seen Bel or the blond had left blood behind him.

Slamming the door closed after deeming the situation okay enough, Mukuro couldn't help but wrap his arms around his friend, blood clinging to his skin.

"What happened, Bel?" Mukuro reached out, wiping away tears.

"…It's…" Bel continued to cry harder, pulling his knees to his chest as he did so. "…It's Siel… He's… He's dead… I killed him… I _killed _him!"

Mukuro didn't know what to do when Bel broke down harder than he had ever seen the older man cry. All he could do was stand there with a stunned look on his face, still trying to process the words.

"Siel…" Mukuro licked his lips in confusion, "…Siel's dead…?"

The nod Bel gave at these words only confirmed what he was sure he had to have misheard.


	20. Chapter 20

The first thing that came to Mukuro's mind as he watched his blood-soaked friend cry was that he needed to get rid of that filthy clothing and cleanse Bel's pale skin from the blood that it was caked in – he knew that the more Bel saw of it, the more distressed he would become.

"Get undressed, Bel," Mukuro instructed gently. "Go get in the bath with Fran. I'll take care of this, okay?"

Bel nodded, removing his clothing where he stood. He knew Mukuro wouldn't mind; they had both seen each other's naked bodies countless times over the years.

Watching as Bel disappeared down into the bathroom, Mukuro waited until the blond was out of sight before he grabbed his mobile and scrolled through his contacts. He clicked on a contact listed simply as 'Hibari' before he placed the phone to his ear, waiting for his call to be connected.

_God, I hope he'll be able to handle it… _Mukuro bit the inside of his cheek as worry overwhelmed him; what if his contact messed up? What if someone found out what Bel had done? What if they – "Hibari…?"

"What do _you _want, herbivore?" the cold voice on the other end of the line growled.

"…I… have an issue…" Mukuro was careful to choose his words, knowing that he and the younger male – who was still merely a teenager, younger even than Fran – weren't on the best terms. "…Does the Disciplinary Committee still take care of dead bodies…?"

Hibari was silent for a few seconds before he replied. "Yes. But for _you, _it will cost you. Where's the body?"

Mukuro couldn't care less what the payment was – as long as everything was covered up and nothing happened to Bel, he would do whatever the younger asked of him. "Belphegor's house. You know where that is, don't you?"

"Yes. I'll send Tetsuya there as soon as he's available."

"Thank you, Hibari."

"I'll call you back with your method of payment later, herbivore." With that said, the line went dead.

Mukuro sighed as he placed his phone down on the coffee table, moving back to his room so that he could redress himself.

_Whatever Siel did to Bel must have been terrible if he snapped on _Siel… Mukuro thought to himself. _I mean; Bel _loves _Siel… And after only just getting him back… _

Making his way back to the bathroom, Mukuro soon found Bel leaning back in the bathtub with Fran between his legs, the smaller boy hugging a rubber duck to his chest tightly as if he were afraid.

"Are you okay, little one?" Mukuro asked as he reached out to pat teal hair. He frowned when the boy shook his head, not knowing what to say.

Instead, heterochromatic eyes looked down into the bathtub, noticing the way the water was slowly turning red – either from the blood that was sticking to Bel's body, or the stitches in Fran's rectum had split again.

Reaching in to pull the plug out of the bath so the water could drain, Mukuro fiddled with the taps, running fresh water into the tub.

"I called Hibari," Mukuro said to Bel, knowing the other would understand what he was referencing. Bel just nodded. "…He said he'd send Kusakabe around to deal with it."

"…I…" Bel licked his lips before he continued speaking, wrapping his arms around Fran. "…I can… stay here, right…?"

"Of course, Bel. You know you don't need to ask for permission. I'll set the couch up for you soon."

As a general rule, Mukuro rarely allowed Bel and Fran to sleep in the boy's room whenever the blond stayed over, having been kept up by the two having sex too many times – it was enough of a hassle washing sheets stained from when Fran would masturbate than having to deal with twice the damage.

But should he really be as cruel as to deprive the blond of his lover right now…? Mukuro doubted there would be sexual activity between them due to… well, everything that had been happening, so that wouldn't be an issue, right?

"Forgive me, Bel; you may share the bed with Fran if you'd rather."

Bel nodded. "…T-thank you…"

Mukuro closed the toilet seat lid before he sat down on it, his arms crossed against his chest as he observed the two. Bel was silent as he ran the bar of soap over his body, trying to get rid of the dirty feeling the blood provoked. Fran was just playing with the duck he had found, making tiny noises every now and then as he moved the duck around, splashing at random intervals.

It was almost something out of Mukuro's worst nightmares – but none of them wanted to face the fact that it _was _the type of thing out of nightmares; so lifeless and traumatised.

_**~~Later that night~~**_

As Mukuro and Bel sat around the dining table, mugs of hot chocolate in their hands, their conversation was quiet. Fran was in his bed, fast asleep, the same rubber duck he had been playing previously still in his arms, having refused to part with it.

Bel had told Mukuro everything Rasiel had said, and the younger male understood why his friend had snapped.

"It wasn't your fault, Bel," Mukuro soothed, knowing how upset the blond still was. "It will never be your fault. Siel shouldn't have said those things to you – he shouldn't have treated you so badly."

"I can't believe I let Froggy go for him, Mukuro… I was so stupid, and… Froggy may never love me again… Look at what happened to him because of me…"

"Fran loves you, Bel," the blue-haired man said. "He loves you with all his heart; he's stuck by your side, even when things weren't going well between you, hasn't he?"

Bel nodded, knowing the taller man was right; no matter what Bel did to him, or how badly he fucked up, Fran had always welcomed him back with open arms, doing his best to forget that they had even had a fight or disagreement.

Bel knew he would miss Siel, knew there would be no coming back from death _this _time around, but he also knew that he wouldn't grieve for the twin who had abused him, attacked his beautiful Froggy, threatened the lives of the two people dearest to his heart – he would grieve instead for the boy who had loved him with all his heart, taken care of him in stead of the parents who barely even acknowledged their existence.

Fighting back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes, Bel quietly excused himself to bed, unable to bear the idea of having to remember everything that had happened.

Mukuro nodded, standing up to take Bel's mug over to the sink. "Goodnight, Bel. You know where I'll be if you need me."

"Night…"

Bel made his way to Fran's bedroom, the legs of the pyjama pants he had borrowed from Mukuro almost tripping him over.

The blond opened the bedroom door, slipping inside and closing it quietly behind him. Fran was curled up into a ball in his bed, the blankets pulled up to his chin while the beak of the rubber duck peeked out.

Pulling the blankets back, Bel slipped into the bed soundlessly. He curled around Fran's body, pulling the blankets back over them, holding his lover tight.

"B-bel…?" Fran awoke with a start as he felt someone climbed into his bed with him. He curled closer to the familiar body of Bel, feeling as peace in his arms.

"Froggy…?" Bel whispered, running a hand along the boy's back. The boy nudged the man's chest with his nose silently, indicating he was listening. "…Do you… Do you still love me…?"

"I love you, Bel…" Fran whispered truthfully.

Bel smiled softly to himself at these words, feeling the discomfort in his chest settle. He closed his eyes, preparing for sleep, when he felt lips press against his.

Opening his eyes, Bel could see Fran pulling his face away from his, a cute little yawn escaping from his mouth.

"Goodnight, Froggy." Bel kissed Fran back, the love he held for the boy overcoming everything else.

"Goodnight…" With that said, Fran was fast asleep once again, his duck held against his chest.

"The prince loves his Froggy, too…" the blond whispered, smiling. "And he's so sorry for being unable to protect Froggy – but he'll do his best from now on. The prince loves you… Fran…"

**There will be an epilogue next chapter with a bit of a time skip so that you can see how Fran and Bel are doing. **


	21. Chapter 21

A few months had passed by since Rasiel's death, and during that time, both Fran and Bel had slowly made their recoveries. While the blond was faster to get back on his feet, the boy was doing much better than he had been, and had only just starting going back to school – even if he only attended for the last half of his classes, something Dino was supportive of.

Now, Fran was sitting at the park with his friends as he waited for Bel to come and pick him up. He was sitting on a bench with his knees drawn to his chest, a frog teddy Mukuro had brought him cuddled close to him.

Tsuna sat next to the teal-haired boy, rubbing his friend's back in understanding. He was talking to the other males, a small conversation going on between them while Fran sat in silence, listening; though he wasn't ready to say more than a few simple words such as hello and goodbye, he would nod and shake his head when spoken to.

"I still say you guys should join the boxing club," Ryohei, one of the older boys in the group, said enthusiastically to the younger teens. "At least extremely consider it."

Gokudera, who had already been in a foul mood, stood up as he shouted at Ryohei, taking his frustrations out on the grey haired teenager. "Can't you give it a rest about the boxing club?! It should be obvious none of us will – T-tenth?"

Tsuna had tugged on his friend's sleeve, drawing the silver-haired teenager's attention as he gestured to Fran. The boy had ducked his head, his body tensed as he hugged the life out of his teddy.

"You're scaring him…" Tsuna whispered, rubbing again on the older male's back.

Gokudera mumbled an apology to his friend as he sat back down, unable to admit how bad he felt for frightening the damaged boy.

Yamamoto was the next one to speak to Fran, his voice as cheerful as always, a hint of tenderness only just audible. "Yo, Fran; relax, okay? You know we're not going to hurt you."

Fran knew Yamamoto was right – but it wasn't like he _wanted _to be so uncomfortable around them; he was finding it hard to remember much about them due to the trauma, having only remembered who they were when Mukuro took him over to Tsuna's home for a day out of his room.

Nodding slowly, the boy whispered, "Okay…"

No one forced Fran to participate in their conversations or questioned the random, seemingly-unprovoked whimpers and shudders, understanding that he had been through a lot and was still recovering – they were sure he wouldn't like for such petty things to be pointed out, so they kept quiet, keeping an ever-watchful eye on their friend.

"Oh, Fran…" Tsuna smiled as he drew the older teenager's attention, kneading his fingers through teal locks, "…we're going to go see a movie on the weekend. Do you want to come with us?"

Fran's lips quivered for a few seconds before his tongue poked out, licking at his lips. The nervousness the boy was feeling was evident from the shaky voice he spoke in. "W-what… What m-movie…?"

"We aren't sure yet," Tsuna explained. "Is there anything in particular you want to see?" The brunet smiled when his friend nodded. "What movie?"

Just after Fran finished whispering the title of the movie he wanted to see, he jumped in surprise as a hand grabbed his shoulder.

Pushing against Tsuna in an attempt to escape whoever had hold of him, the boy turned around, only to stop struggling as he relaxed at the sight of Bel.

The blond sniggered as he leant down to steal a kiss from Fran, his hand reaching out to caress the soft skin of the boy's cheek. His lover was only too happy to return the kiss and, when they pulled away, he dropped his face into the man's chest, sighing contently at the familiar smell of strawberries.

"Does Froggy want to have a drive?" Bel said gently, his arms encasing the boy. He smiled at his lover's friends, grateful for their presence in Fran's life – they were a big help with the process of healing Fran's trauma.

Fran shook his head, remaining silent. Bel just continued coaxing the younger boy into what he wanted, knowing it would be good for Fran to do something other than keeping quiet and locked away in his mind.

"Aww, but the prince took the liberty of booking Froggy in for his driving test today," Bel said. "Froggy can take the test on his eighteenth birthday – and that's not far away now. We have to make sure you pass it, don't we?"

Fran frowned as he pulled away, looking down at his teddy. Truth be told, he was a little nervous to let it out of his arms.

Bel, who seemed to sense this, rested his hand on the dark green material as he smiled. "The prince will take care of him for you, Froggy. He'll make sure nothing happens. Okay?"

Fran was reluctant to hand his teddy over to Bel, but he did so anyway, trusting the man to look after it. He whimpered and hissed as he got to his feet with the support of Tsuna, the doctors having discussed with him the very real possibility that his rectum may never fully heal.

"The prince says thank you to you all for looking after his Froggy," Bel said to the other kids as he walked with Fran back to his car.

Fran was nervous to start the car up, wanting his teddy back already; he felt naked, _exposed _without its comfort, but when Bel leant across the car and kissed him passionately, he relaxed just a little bit more.

"Don't run over someone's garden this time, Froggy." Bel chuckled at the memory of the boy accidentally taking out someone's garden during one of their first drives together.

Those words drew a slight smile from Fran before the boy giggled, soon enough laughing quietly.

Bel felt his heart flutter at the sound, unable to remember the last time he had heard Fran laugh – or even seen him _smile._

"Froggy, I wanna play video games with you when we get home." Bel pouted, almost afraid Fran would say no. "Can we?"

Fran nodded. "Okay…"

"Shishishi… After, can we have sex?"

Fran didn't like the idea of having sex with such a fragile entrance – Bel was far too rough and was sure to reopen the injury. But… at the same time, it had been so long since they had been intimate with each other, and they were both becoming a bit frustrated because of it.

"…" Pursing his lips, Fran whispered, "…Only if you're gentle, senpai… It… I-it hurts down there…"

"I know," Bel reassured. "I want to make love to you, Froggy. I only did that for your first time, didn't I? I want to make love to you again. I'll be very careful."

Fran smiled at these words, finally getting the confidence to go without his teddy for the duration of the drive.

Hitting the indicator to signal that he was pulling out, Fran was stopped by Bel's tutting.

"Head check, Froggy," the blond instructed. "What happens if there's a truck beside you and you don't look before merging?"

"O-okay, senpai." Doing as instructed, Fran checked for incoming traffic before pulling out, relaxed by his beloved's presence.

Bel danced the teddy in his lap a few times, careful not to damage it in any way, as he supervised Fran's driving. It felt good to have the boy feeling well enough to let the material object out of his arms for once, knowing that – no matter how slow it was – he was making progress.

The blond couldn't wait until Fran fully recovered, knowing that such a timid disposition didn't suit him at all – no; he was only Froggy when he driving everyone up the wall with his emotionless, sarcastic bites.

**Insert random trivia here: Fran isn't the only one who drives over random gardens. Last year when I was driving with my instructor, I went over a random garden. Don't ask how, but my driving instructor thought it was hilarious and told me to get out of there before they came after us. That was about a minute before he started throwing rubbish out of his window while distracting me so I wouldn't notice. Ah, fun times. **


End file.
